Shiver
by blueberry709
Summary: Sixth year. Scorpius loves bullying Albus, and Albus hates him for that... But could there be something else hidden behind both boys' behaviour? Slash.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes. _

**Shiver**

**Chapter I**

* * *

><p><em>You got designer shades<em>

_Just to hide your face and_

_You wear them around like_

_You're cooler than me._

_And you never say hey,_

_Or remember my name._

_It's probably 'cause_

_You think you're cooler than me._

[_Cooler than me_-Mike Posner]

* * *

><p>"What the hell? Let me go!" Potter cried, his emerald eyes wide with fear. He struggled, trying to free himself from the taller boy's firm grip. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"<p>

"Oh, _please_, spare me your pathetic whining." Scorpius said in a sarcastic tone, pushing the other boy against the corridor wall more strongly. Potter looked terrified. Scorpius smirked. He _scared _him, Scorpius realised with a thrill. As a true Malfoy, he enjoyed very much having some sort of power over people. He leaned in closer, seeing with a feeling of satisfaction Potter trying to melt into the wall and disappear. His smirked widened. Oh, how he loved to do this!

"Your face is priceless, _Potter_."

Potter unexpectedly blushed, causing a strange feeling in Scorpius' stomach.

"What do you want?" the shorter boy asked abruptly.

"Hey, talk to me nicely, just like the cute Hufflepuff you are." Scorpius said with a sneer. "And to answer your question," he pursued, "nothing in particular, simply making sure you remember what you truly are: a total loser!"

* * *

><p>Then Malfoy let out an evil laugh, finally turning his back to him. Albus' chest felt tight and his eyesight suddenly blurred. It was only when he tasted something salty on his lips that he realised that he was crying. They were tears of anger; he was mad at Malfoy, mad at himself for being so weak. He hated that boy more than anything, but at the same time not enough. Not enough because as much as he loathed the way Malfoy treated him, he had feelings for the bastard. Oh yes, he wanted him like crazy. It was so stupid of him…<p>

Albus sighed deeply, resting his head against the cold stones. They had been like this since first year… Malfoy always making fun of him, constantly wanting to prove that he was so much better than him in every way, and he, Albus, trying his best to ignore his nasty remarks, and repress his desire to touch him.

Lately it had become even worse. Malfoy was pissing him off more often than before. Also, he had developed that extremely annoying — and quite disturbing — habit of pinning him against a wall, their bodies almost touching, making Albus forget how to breathe. And the last thing he'd want would be Malfoy to discover his secret. If so, his life would become a living hell. Just imagine all the nasty jokes it would cause…

At least there's only one month left until the end of the school year, Albus reminded himself. No Malfoy for two months…

Albus sighed again and headed to Potions class.

* * *

><p>"Albus, you're going to cut your fingers."<p>

"Huh?" Albus asked absently.

"Al, focus on what you're doing." Henri said.

"Ah, yeah, right." the dark-haired boy said and started cutting the ingredients more carefully. His attention didn't last much though. Albus' gaze soon focused with a surprising intensity somewhere on his left. Henri shook his head sadly. His friend hadn't stopped staring at Scorpius Malfoy since he had entered the classroom.

"Albus." Henri muttered, waving his hand in front of Albus' face.

"_What_?" Albus spat.

"What's the matter today? You're never like this during Potions classes." Henri persisted, not bothered at all by Albus' rudeness.

"Nothing."

Henri couldn't help but smile. Albus was such a bad liar. Besides, he knew him too well. They had been best friends since first year. They had both been sorted in Hufflepuff, whereas all the people they already knew were in other houses, so they had had something in common right away. Albus had also been one of the few kids that didn't make fun of his slight French accent.

"It's Malfoy again, isn't it?"

Albus mumbled something but eventually whispered a 'yes'. Henri completely ignored the faint colour that had appeared on the dark-haired boy's pale face and asked: "What did he do to you again?"

Albus shrugged. "Let's not talk about him, okay?"

"As you wish." Henri replied simply. He had learnt that when Albus was angry it was better not to push him further. He only hoped his friend would finally open up to him.

"After classes, I'll probably go to the library… You can come too if you want." Albus told him a few moments later.

Henri hesitated for a second; he wasn't thrilled with the idea. Books bored him. Video games were much more fun according to him.

"Rose will probably be there too." Albus added and smiled for the first time that day.

It was Henri's turn to blush. Albus knew he liked Rose's humour, but Henri wished that was the only reason his friend had said that.

"I… okay, we'll see." he said with a small grin and was relieved to see that Albus' mood seemed to improve a little.

Henri noticed that during the rest of the lesson Albus' glances towards Malfoy were fewer.

* * *

><p>Rose was — as Albus had rightly guessed — already there, flipping through a book, chatting with Adrian. Henri and Albus went to sit with them, Henri forcing himself not to glare at the Ravenclaw.<p>

Albus' cousin welcomed them cheerfully. Adrian just nodded at them and Henri hoped that Rose would notice too how impolite he was. The thought that he was exaggerating things never crossed his mind.

Five minutes hadn't even passed before a tall, blond Slytherin approached them.

_Oh, crap._

"Hello, _Rosie_."

Henri looked at Malfoy with round eyes. Since when did he talk to Rose? He glanced hesitantly over at Albus. The dark-haired boy's eyes were narrowed and all of his senses seemed to be awake. His body had instinctively turned towards the Slytherin.

"Hello, Malfoy." Rose replied in an indifferent voice, even though she looked rather focused.

Henri noticed that Malfoy was only looking at her, completely unaware of Albus' murderous looks. Or maybe he was simply ignoring him on purpose to tease him.

"Your hair looks pretty today." Malfoy said with a crooked smile and Albus' mouth fell open. Henri's too actually.

Rose lifted an eyebrow at him. "What do you want, Malfoy?" she asked coldly.

"What's wrong, Weaslette? You can't even accept a compliment?"

"Coming from you, no thanks."

Henri restrained a laugh. He quickly looked at Adrian to see what he thought of the whole situation. The Ravenclaw wasn't even paying attention to them; he seemed bored to death. Henri smiled internally. Albus wasn't smiling even in the slightest though. He looked read to kill someone.

"Oh, I see how it is. Well, then, please excuse my humble self for daring to address you." Malfoy mocked her.

Rose's neutral expression didn't change. She held his gaze, not blinking. Henri was amazed by her cool.

"Okay, you can piss off now." Albus said through gritted teeth.

Henri tensed. The atmosphere had gotten heavy. Malfoy slowly turned to face Albus, his face blank. "Don't order me." he said and walked away without another glance. Albus was fuming; Henri had the impression that if you poked him he would explode.

"I'm off." Albus suddenly said and got up. Henri exchanged a worried glance with Rose. The dark-haired boy silently left the library, but Henri had a bad feeling that as soon as Albus would reach the door he would run after Malfoy…

* * *

><p><em><span>AN: _

_Thanks for reading! (to my 'old' readers: hi there;))_

_And just so you don't worry for nothing, the rest of the fic won't focus so much on Henri/Rose in the next chapters. It's just easier for me at the beginning to write in his POV. _

_Let me know what you thought of it:)_

_A big thank you to Celine for accepting to be my beta for this fic too:)_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes. _

**Shiver**

**Chapter II**

_**Warning: **Um, self-satisfaction scene… ^.^'_

* * *

><p><em>Every time we lie awake<em>

_After every hit we take_

_Every feeling that I get_

_But I haven't missed you yet_

_._

_Every roommate kept awake_

_By every sigh and scream we make_

_All the feelings that I get_

_But I still don't miss you yet_

_._

_Only when I stop to think about it_

_._

_I hate everything about you_

_Why do I love you?_

_I hate everything about you_

_Why do I love you?_

[_I hate everything about you_-Three Days Grace]

* * *

><p>Albus looked around hastily. He saw a shadow disappear on his right. He quickly followed it, and after the turn of the corridor, he saw a slender silhouette walking in front of him. His heart started beating faster.<p>

"Malfoy!"

The blond boy froze. "Potter?" he asked before turning to look at him.

Albus stood there, stupidly staring at the other boy for a few seconds. All his determination had flown away. Malfoy gave him a questioning look but then smirked mischievously.

"Are you lost, Potty?"

Rage suddenly overwhelmed Albus. "What was that for?" he shouted.

"What was what?"

"You know very well what I'm talking about, Malfoy!"

"No, I don't. Be clearer, Potter." Malfoy said so calmly that Albus wanted to punch him.

The dark-haired boy clenched his fists. "Stay away from my cousin!"

The Slytherin tilted his head to the side. "Oh, so _that_'s what you're talking about…"

"You're doing it on purpose, aren't you? It could have been anyone, but you chose _her_ on purpose!"

"I don't get what you're trying to imply. It's none of my fault if I happen to have a better taste in girls than you." Malfoy replied coolly.

"Stop playing dumb! You like hurting me! And I can't understand why! What have I done to you?" Albus cried.

"And _you_ stop being so full of yourself! What I do in my life has _nothing_ to do with you!" Malfoy snarled back, losing his cool.

The Slytherin's last words felt like a stab in Albus' heart. But he was sure that Malfoy's interest in Rose wasn't a coincidence...

"Bullshit! I know what you're trying to do, Malfoy…"

"_Enough_! What do I need to say to make the thick head of yours understand that it has nothing to do with you?"

Albus opened his mouth and then closed it again, unable to find something to answer back.

"That's right, Potter; keep your mouth shut, it makes you look less stupid. Now, if you'll excuse me, unlike _some_ people, I don't have much time to waste at my disposal." Malfoy declared before walking away, leaving Albus hurt and lost.

* * *

><p>Albus burst in the dormitory, looking furious, proving Henri that he had been right. Henri had left the library a few moments after Albus' departure, knowing that his friend would need some support when he would get back. Said friend fell on his bed and buried his face in a pillow. Henri waited patiently, as he was used to do, for Albus to calm down. Eventually, Albus' head rose up, brows furrowed.<p>

"He really hates me." Albus whispered, still not looking at him, though Henri knew he was expecting an answer.

"Well, you hate him too, don't you?" Henri asked.

"Yeah, I do, but… I don't always try to _hurt_ him…" the dark-haired boy said, finally looking at his friend.

Henri thought carefully before speaking. It was a… _sensitive_ subject. "What did he tell you?"

"He told me that what he did had nothing to do with me. But he's lying, right? He wants to hurt me, doesn't he, Henri?"

The tone of Albus' voice made Henri feel a sudden wave of pity. He had to remain rational though. "Why would it hurt you if he dated Rose?" he asked.

Albus looked away, thoughtful. "Well, if he dates Rose, he'd certainly hurt _her_ since he's a jerk, which would indirectly hurt _me_."

"Mmhm." was all Henri said.

"Why? Would _you_ be okay with it?"

"No. No, of course not." Henri answered quickly.

"Of course not. You like her." Albus said in a matter-of-fact way.

"_What_?" Henri squeaked, his entire face turning red.

Albus shrugged. "I know you do." he said simply. "I guessed ages ago." Albus added when he saw Henri's questioning look.

After a short silence, Henri asked: "Does it bother you?" There was no point in denying it anyway…

"No, it doesn't bother me at all. You're a nice guy." Albus explained with a smile.

"Are you sure?" Henri persisted.

"Yeah, it's not as if you liked my brother or something."

"Huh? What would be the difference in that case?" Henri asked, surprised.

"You're both boys. You shouldn't… It's just… _wrong_." Albus replied in a serious tone.

Henri was completely taken aback. "Albus, I… I didn't know you thought that way…"

Albus shrugged again. "Well, I do."

_Oh, Albus, stop trying to convince yourself with lies…_

"There's nothing wrong with it…" Henri said hesitantly.

"Yes, there is! It shouldn't happen!" Albus exclaimed angrily.

Henri didn't answer. He didn't know at all what to say. If Albus wasn't ready to admit it, then he surely wouldn't be the one to force him to come out. The dark-haired boy sighed in an exasperated manner and buried his face into his pillow again.

* * *

><p><em>I have to stop thinking about him. I have to <strong>stop<strong>. _

…

_Albus! Control yourself damn it! _

Albus glared at the dark ceiling. He was trying his best to get Malfoy out of his mind but it turned out harder than expected — in many ways.

_Ugh, it's useless._

Albus turned on his belly with a sudden move, cursing himself. He pressed his hot cheek against the cool pillow and moaned lightly. He waggled his hips slightly, then arched his back, bringing his knees a little closer to his torso, pushing his pelvis upwards. Albus slid his right hand in his shorts and shut his eyes tightly. The image of a naked blond boy immediately popped up in his mind. And it wasn't a figment of his imagination... He had _really_ seen Malfoy with no clothes on.

At the beginning of this year, when James had handed him the invisibility cloak, the first thing he had done was to hurriedly go to the Slytherin Quidditch locker room. And it had definitely been worth it.

Albus swallowed hard. He imagined Scor-, erm, Malfoy running a finger down his spine, only the thought of it making him shiver. He stroked himself with more pressure, his free hand strongly gripping the bed sheets.

_More_, ordered the little voice in his head. Albus started licking the fingers of his left hand and then sucking on them, letting his fantasies take over him. His whole body quivered eagerly. Albus lowered his hand and slowly pressed a finger inside of him. He bit his pillow to restrain a groan, ignoring the little voice that was screaming that that small intrusion wasn't enough. Albus soon added another finger, rubbing his body against the mattress, making muffled noises, picturing Malfoy on top of him.

After he came, Albus turned to lie on his back, panting heavily.

"Scorpius…" he breathed.

And then, horrified, he covered his mouth with his hand, hoping that no one had heard him.

* * *

><p>Scorpius lay awake in the darkness of the night, eyes wide open. His plan could have gone better, but at least Potter had reacted as expected. He had thought the other boy would have gotten angrier though… He would do better next time. Potter was so predictable and easily manipulated…<p>

* * *

><p><em><span>AN: Thanks for the reviews and +faves!_

(_**Crazy-Lil-Yume-Chan**: Why don't you enable PMs? I want to reply to your reviews ;_;)_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes. _

**Shiver**

**Chapter III**

* * *

><p><em>I want you to want me<em>

_I need you to need me_

_I'd love you to love me_

_I'm begging you to beg me_

[_I want you to want me _- Cheap Trick]

* * *

><p>"Rose, can I ask you something?"<p>

"Anything." Rose replied with a warm smile.

Henri hesitated for a moment. "If… if Malfoy asked you out, what would you say?"

"What?" she asked, laughing.

Henri blushed and ran his fingers through his dark ash blond hair, feeling uncomfortable.

"Do you even need to ask? Of course I'd refuse." she finally said.

"Oh, okay, I was just… making sure… Albus wouldn't have been happy at all if you ever… you know?"

"Yeah, I know. James and Hugo either…" Rose said in a laugh. "But it has nothing to do with them, I simply do not like Malfoy. Besides, he doesn't like me either, it was just a dare or something, you saw how he reacted when I didn't answer the way he wanted…"

Henri nodded, feeling relieved.

"Speaking of James," she added in a playful tone, "I think he has a crush on your sister."

"What?"

Marion Lambert was a seventh year Gryffindor. She was blonder than him, but they had the same light blue eyes of their mother. She was smarter and more confident than him, though sometimes she could have a bad temper.

"Yeah, James gets all flirty when she's around, and more show-off-y than ever. Hadn't you noticed it?"

"Um, no, not really…" he mumbled.

_I'm not paying attention to James when __**you**__'re around, you know?_ Henri wanted to say.

"Anyway," Rose eventually said, twisting a lock of auburn hair around her finger, "maybe you could try to find out if she's interested or not…"

"Yeah… we'll see."

There was an awkward silence. Rose eventually cleared her throat and got off the bench. "I'll go back to the Castle. I have some studying to do. Thanks for the walk, it was nice."

Henri grinned widely. "No problem." he said and got up too.

They walked back to the Castle silently, Henri admiring the way Rose's curly hair shined like bronze under the bright sunlight.

* * *

><p>Henri left Rose in the corridor leading to the Ravenclaw common room before heading back to his own. But before reaching the kitchens, he heard a familiar voice call him.<p>

"Hey, Lamber**t**!"

Henri turned to face Malfoy. "It's _Lamber'_." he informed him in a cold tone.

"Same thing. I might just call you French fag anyway…"

"_Excuse me_?"

"Oh, come _on_, do you really think I haven't figured out why you're always with Potter? You're such a 'glue pot', as your fellows would say." Malfoy said with a sneer.

It took a moment to Henri to get what the other boy insinuated, but then he burst out laughing.

"That's… ridiculous." he said at last.

"No, it's perfectly logical."

"I can't believe that that's what you came up with. And I thought you were clever… Since you seem to be so interested in my private life, you should have noticed that I'm not spending time only with _him_." Henri said, eying Malfoy carefully.

"Yeah, only with that Weasley girl, who happens to be part of his family!" Malfoy said triumphantly.

"_Exactly_, there's that 'Weasley girl' as you say, and she's rather pretty if you ask me…"

The Slytherin's smirk turned into a small 'o', and his grey eyes widened as he realised his huge mistake. It was Henri's turn to look smug.

"You're jealous." Henri muttered, mostly to himself.

Malfoy's expression changed instantly. It was spectacular how quickly his eyes had become two slits.

"Don't ever say that again!" he shouted.

"You're jealous of me! That's why you thought there was something going on with Albus!"

"I'm NOT!" Malfoy yelled defensively. A bit too aggressively to be true in Henri's opinion… The Slytherin must have felt that he didn't believe him, because with a swift move he grabbed Henri by the collar of his shirt.

"Listen carefully, shithead, don't you even dare say a word about this, or else I'll kill you." Malfoy hissed. "Am I clear enough?"

"Why don't you try to be nice for once? Being mean towards him will get you to nothing. Can't you understand?"

"Oh, shut up, you bloody Hufflepuff. I don't need your advice. Besides, as I told you, I'm not interested in Potter in any way, so don't waste your saliva."

_Oh, really?_

Malfoy glared at him but took his hand away. His mouth was twisted in a disdainful wince. "Don't forget what I told you. Not a _single_ word to Potter."

Henri didn't say anything. Malfoy gave him a last warning glance and turned his back to him, walking away. Just before the Slytherin was gone, Henri remembered something.

"Wait, Malfoy!"

"What's the matter?" Malfoy asked in a drawling voice.

"What… what were you even doing down here?"

Malfoy seemed taken aback. "Are you serious? That's none of your business."

And then he left.

* * *

><p>Albus looked up from his book. Henri had just entered the common room, looking preoccupied.<p>

"Hey, where were you?" the dark-haired boy asked.

"Outside. Um, with Rose." Henri said and sat next to him on the sofa.

A small, knowing smile appeared on Albus' face. "Oh, I see."

"No, no, it wasn't a date or anything. We met by chance in the Great Hall, and so we talked a little…"

"You don't have to be shy about it, Henri." Albus said kindly.

Henri shrugged. He wasn't looking at him though, and he looked more thoughtful than usual. Albus started to worry.

"Is there something wrong? Did Rose say something bad?"

"It's nothing. I remembered something I had to do, that's all." Henri replied with a grin.

Albus smiled back, relieved. He was in a good mood that day; he hadn't seen Malfoy at all. Actually, he would have liked to _see_ him. The problem was that being in the same place with him meant having to endure his nasty remarks. And the truth was that Malfoy never missed the opportunity to insult him. It seemed to be his favourite hobby — unfortunately. Albus had wished countless times not to be a Potter, and for Malfoy not to be a, well, Malfoy. Because if there wasn't that old family grudge, maybe they could have been friends. And maybe… No, that was insane. Malfoy could never reciprocate his feelings, pureblood jerk or not. Malfoy could have any girl he wanted, so why would he like _him_?

_Girls_. Malfoy was obviously into girls, so their hatred wasn't the main issue. Nothing could change that. It was hopeless. Hopeless and really, really _really_ stupid.

_Why do I have to love him? Why **him**?_

_Ugh, Albus, you're the biggest cretin in the world._

* * *

><p><em>I am the world's biggest cretin<em>, Scorpius told himself. How had he managed to ridicule himself so much? And by a dumb Hufflepuff! What a shame! His father would be so disappointed if he learnt it. Especially if he knew that the reason was a Potter…

That Lame-Bert or whatever his name was would be a threat from now on. And it was entirely his fault. If he hadn't gone there hoping to run into Potter, everything would have been fine. He had to be much more careful.

* * *

><p>As Henri had expected, Malfoy became even more unbearable after that incident. He constantly bumped into Albus 'by accident', then pointing out how retarded and blind the dark-haired boy was, before stepping on his foot — always accidently, <em>of course<em>. In addition, Malfoy never forgot to glance at him after saying something hurtful to Albus, making sure Henri was reminded that his friend meant nothing to the Slytherin. It wasn't working though. The more Malfoy was stubborn, the more strongly Henri believed that Malfoy's behaviour was only a way to hide his true feelings. But the more Malfoy was mean to him, the more Albus was becoming introverted and distant, much to Henri's bitterness. And the worst part was that he couldn't do anything to make things better.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes. _

**Shiver**

**Chapter IV**

* * *

><p><em>All of the things that I want to say<em>

_Just aren't coming out right_

_I'm tripping on words_

_You got my head spinning_

_I don't know where to go from here_

_._

'_Cause it's you and me_

_And all of the people with nothing to do_

_Nothing to prove_

_And it's you and me_

_And all other people_

_And I don't know why_

_I can't keep my eyes off of you_

[_You and me_-Lifehouse]

* * *

><p>Albus left the dormitory and went to find Henri in the common room. It was a Saturday morning, two weeks away from the end of the school year.<p>

"Henri, what are you doing?"

"Er, reading?" Henri said, showing Albus his book, a bit confused.

"Yes, I can see that but… since when do you _read_?"

"Since I thought that it would be better to know something about literature in case I ever ask Rose out." Henri answered, blushing.

Albus chuckled. "I'm sure she would appreciate the initiative, but I don't think you should force yourself if you don't like it."

"It's not that bad actually."

Well, that was surprising. "Good for you then." Albus said with a grin. "Let's go have breakfast now!"

* * *

><p>Albus stepped out of the Great Hall. Henri had told him that he wanted to spend some time with Marion, so Albus didn't know what to do with his free time. The weather was nice that day…<p>

Albus went to sit by the lake. He wrapped his arms around his legs and rested his chin on his knees. He stared at the clear water through his lashes, eyes half closed. He felt extremely tired, but it wasn't due to lack of sleep. It was a sentimental fatigue as Rose would wittily state. His lips curled into a tiny smile when he remembered that his friend had started reading for her sake. Henri. _Reading_. It was absurd. Albus laughed lightly.

"Laughing on your own, Potter? I knew that your almost nonexistent brain was fucked up, but I didn't think it was _that_ bad."

"Someone kill me." Albus muttered to himself. Malfoy heard it too though, because he bent and whispered in his ear: "I can gladly help you with that."

And then he pushed him.

Albus was so taken aback that he didn't have the time to steady himself. There was a loud _splash_ and the next thing he knew was that he was choking. He was aware that he must be looking like a complete idiot splattering like a retarded seal, but he was so furious that he didn't care.

_Malfoy!_ The motherfucker had pushed him into the fucking lake! How dare he?

Malfoy was still standing there, enjoying Albus' humiliation, and sneering like the prat he usually was.

"Fuck you! FUCK YOU, BASTARD!"

"With pleasure." the Slytherin said in a sultry voice and walked away, but not before winking suggestively at him.

_Okay, what was **that**?_

"I hope you rot in hell!" Albus shouted, not wanting to look affected by Malfoy's stupid teasing.

"Have fun in the giant squid's stomach!" Malfoy shouted back in an amused tone.

Albus sighed in exasperation. His throat was aching and his lungs felt too heavy. And he had to swim to the opposite shore to get out…

_Damn you, Malfoy! If I get my hands on you…_

Wait, no, maybe it was better not to have any physical contact with him. Not that he would mind… Albus shook his head violently to clear his mind. It wasn't the right moment to have those kinds of thoughts. He swam slowly to the other side. He almost had to crawl to get out of the water, his soaked robes pulling him down. _How humiliating._ Albus walked back to the Castle, dragging his feet, water dripping off his clothes because he was too lazy — and angry — to take them off. And since he was the unluckiest person on Earth, he met Rose at the entrance.

"Albus? Why are you all… wet?" she asked with round eyes.

"It's nothing. I'm just clumsy, you know?" Albus said hastily.

Rose raised an eyebrow, clearly suspicious. "At least you could have used a drying spell."

"Huh? Ah, yeah… I… I didn't think of it." the dark-haired boy answered shamefully.

"What's the matter with you, Al?"

"Listen, you don't need to rub it in. Okay, it didn't cross my mind, but you don't have to imply things like 'what would your father think?' or other stuff Malfoy would say." Albus said dryly.

"What?" His cousin seemed completely lost. "I didn't mean it that way! You've been acting differently lately so I wanted to see if I could help you. And stop thinking about all the foolish things Malfoy says! If you start believing them, then it's like letting him win!"

"It's not a bloody competition! I'm sick of this!"

"Maybe for you it isn't, but that's how he sees it! And _he _did this to you, didn't he?" Rose added, pointing a finger at Albus' uniform.

"No! I told you it was an accident!"

"I don't understand you, Albus. You constantly complain about him, but as soon as someone says something against him, you take his side. It doesn't make any sense!"

"I'm not taking his side! I'm simply trying to be unbiased, because the rest of you seem to be only seeing his name!"

"I can't believe we're actually arguing about Malfoy! Get a grip, Albus!"

"Well, that's right! Why don't you just forget about it and leave me in peace?"

Rose made a shocked face. She didn't like to be dismissed. "You don't need to talk to me like this because you're angry at somebody else." she hissed.

Albus sighed impatiently. Rose glared at him and went outside. Albus sighed again, and then headed back to his dormitory.

He changed clothes because he didn't like how the cloth felt like after being magically dried. Then, he went to sit in the common room. He couldn't stay still though; he had that sudden urge to break something. Or hit someone… Malfoy, more precisely. So Albus got up, determined to show him that, contrary to what the blond thought, he wasn't a sissy.

* * *

><p>Albus didn't know how much time he had spent pacing in the dungeons. He wasn't sure where exactly the door of the Slytherin common room was hidden, so he had to check every corridor. And then, at last, he heard Malfoy's voice. But he wasn't alone; Albus could hear two other boys. The dark-haired boy carefully took a look at the next corridor, from where the voices were coming. Malfoy's fair head was easily recognisable. The two other teenagers were obviously Slytherins too. The tallest of the three, whose hair was blond too, but not as light as Malfoy's, was called Ethan Wilson, and he was Malfoy's acolyte. The brown-haired one, Davis or something, was rumoured to be Wilson's boyfriend.<p>

Well, _shit_, Albus thought. Now he couldn't talk to Malfoy…

"You go, and I'll come later." Albus heard Malfoy say. "I want to look for something first."

"Okay, but don't take too long." Wilson said.

Albus heard Scorpius' friends leave and then there was a long silence. The dark-haired boy quickly glanced at Malfoy. He was standing with his back on the wall, lost in thought. Since Malfoy wouldn't notice him, Albus silently crossed the hallway and hid behind a column. After some minutes, Malfoy finally moved. He took the opposite direction of the one of the other two Slytherins, and walked past Albus without seeing him. The Hufflepuff left his hiding place and followed the other boy. He could feel the adrenaline rise at every step he made. Albus took a deep breath and ran after Malfoy to catch up the distance separating them.

"Oi, Malfoy!" he shouted.

And before the blond had the time to fully turn around, Albus punched him in the face.

"_Ow!_" Malfoy cried. He lost his balance and fell down, hitting the back of his head against the stones of the wall. He quickly sat up, cursing, his hand massaging his head and then his jaw. For a brief moment, Albus regretted what he had done, and felt the need to kneel down and take the blond boy in his arms, making sure he was okay. He had to give the impression that he was strong though, he couldn't let himself be influenced by his feelings.

When Malfoy looked up, his eyes were almost black from fury. "Have you gone completely _insane_?"

Albus smirked. "What's wrong, Malfoy? You finally realised that it's not fun when _you're_ the victim?"

Malfoy abruptly jumped up and threw himself on Albus. Albus tripped, causing the fall of both of them. For the next minutes, they were rolling on the floor, struggling to get the upper hand. They quickly got tired, and a miracle had to have happened because Albus found himself on top of an immobilised — though enraged — Malfoy. They just stared at each other for a moment, breathing heavily, and then Albus started hitting Malfoy's chest. He wanted to hurt him, to make him understand what it feels like to be him. The hits were weak, but he didn't stop. And surprisingly, Malfoy didn't stop him either. He had simply closed his eyes, waiting for Albus to calm down.

Albus felt his eyes tear up.

"I hate you." he said in a whisper.

Malfoy didn't react. Albus couldn't clearly tell whether it was due to anger, sadness, or pain; but when the first tear rolled down his cheek, he felt his chest get somewhat lighter. He rested one hand on Malfoy's chest and then lightly caressed the pained area. Malfoy's eyes opened instantly. He inhaled deeply and looked at Albus, but the dark-haired boy lowered his eyes.

"Why can't we get along well?" Albus whimpered.

It wasn't really a question, so he wasn't expecting an answer. But when Malfoy spoke, Albus had had a faint hope that maybe for once he'd hear something nice from the other boy.

"I don't hate you, Potter. It's simple; I just think that you're pathetic, so get off me, because I have better things to do than watch you cry."

Albus didn't stir. He couldn't. He felt as if the whole weight of the Earth had been placed upon his shoulders.

"Get off me!" Malfoy yelled.

_Get off me. _

_You're pathetic. _

_Get off me! _

_I don't hate you._

_Pathetic. _

_Pathetic… _

Albus bit his lip and shut his eyes tightly. He slowly got up, letting Malfoy go, then stood motionless in the middle of the dark corridor, eyes still shut.

He was heart-broken.

* * *

><p><em><span>AN: I hope you don't mind me for using OCs of my other fic. It's not because I was too lazy to create new ones, but I love them so much that I cannot simply stop writing about them so easily… (I'm the pathetic one lol)_

_Thanks for reading!_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes. _

**Shiver**

**Chapter V**

* * *

><p><em>Leave me alone. I know I'm not making sense<em>

_But I know I can't let you come any closer_

_It's my security, it's my self defence_

_I keep on doing all this over and over_

_/_

_You turn and ask me,_

_Just get to know me baby, oh, oh baby_

_I turn away and pretend that I'm doing just fine_

_But you're inside my mind_

_And I'm_

_/_

_Helpless, helpless_

_What makes my lonely heart feel like this?_

_Helpless, I'm helpless when it comes to you_

[_Helpless_-Neon Trees]

* * *

><p>Scorpius went back to his dormitory. He didn't want to see anyone. He'd find an excuse to tell Ethan later, Malfoys were good liars anyway. He curled up on his bed — something he almost never did, because it was a sign of weakness, and he had been taught not to be weak. He held his pillow tightly, his nails almost piercing the cloth. He bit his lip hard enough to cut the thin skin.<p>

_What have I done?_

Scorpius sank his teeth deeper into the sensitive flesh. He felt a burning pain and the bitter, rusty, taste of blood, but he deserved it. Oh Merlin, what had he done? He couldn't get it out of his mind; the image of those beautiful emerald eyes filled with tears. That sight had nearly had him do the unforgiveable. Oh, how much had he wanted to wipe away Albus' tears, pull him closer and… Wait, since when had it become 'Albus'?

_Scorpius Malfoy, you're in deep shit._

Anyway, at least now he knew Albus liked him a bit. Honestly, that "I hate you" had been said in a way that could mean anything, but what was it _supposed_ to mean? It had sounded as if… as if he had meant the exact opposite, as crazy as that thought might sound. He had touched him affectionately for fuck's sake, hadn't he? But then _he_ had had the 'clever' idea to insult him… Scorpius was only good at hurting Albus, as the Hufflepuff had once pointed out. He didn't enjoy it though. It was only some sort of shield. That's why he had let Albus beat him. He had to be hurt too for once, because it wasn't fair for the other boy.

As if life was fair… Slytherins weren't supposed to be fair either… Scorpius sighed deeply and turned on his other side. He remembered the faint glimmer of hope he had seen in Albus' eyes when he had told him that he didn't hate him. Hope that had quickly turned into pained disappointment of course, but it had been there for a brief second, and Scorpius wanted to see it again. Until now, the only way to get a reaction from Albus had been angering or frightening him. It had never been enough for Scorpius, but it was still something, some sort of sign that the other boy was affected by Scorpius' words. But also, it had been a way to punish Albus for not wanting him back. He was a Malfoy after all…

* * *

><p>Albus dragged himself to his dormitory, feeling completely lifeless. He let himself fall heavily on his bed and remained like this, face down, arms along his body, for what felt like hours. At some point, he felt the mattress sink, and a hand was gently placed on his back.<p>

"Albus, are you alright?" Henri asked in a soft tone.

"No. Just let me die." Albus managed to say in a broken voice.

Henri pressed his hand more firmly. He stayed silent for a long moment.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he eventually asked.

The dark-haired boy shook his head.

"Do you want me to leave or to stay?"

Albus shrugged. Henri decided to stay. He lay down next to his friend and squeezed his hand.

"You know, in India they say that you can split a rock, but that you can't always tender a heart. But you know what Yvan Andouard said? He said: _love isn't blind, it is blinding_. And it's true actually. So maybe you can't see the right way to conquer that heart, or maybe you simply can't realise that it is already yours."

Albus turned his head slightly so that he could see Henri's face. He felt a tear glide over his nose. He stared at Henri for a long time, before finally saying the only word that came up to his mind.

"What?"

Henri smiled lightly and shrugged. Albus rose on his elbows, his expression worried.

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing." Henri said and shrugged again. "It was just a thought."

"Don't play dumb to me! Explain immediately what you meant!"

His friend sighed. "Look, Albus, you don't need to hide it. I know very well why you are like this, I mean, I don't know exactly what happened between you and Malfoy this morning, but I can tell it's his fault."

Albus gaped at him. He wasn't sure what to feel. He opened then closed his mouth a few times, unsure of what to say.

"I don't love him, and he obviously doesn't love me back either. I don't know where you go get these ideas." the dark-haired boy said at last, trying his best to sound calm.

"Of course you do. And don't you dare start with that gay thing again, because we both know very well that it's only a way to convince yourself that your feelings are wrong because you're actually mad at yourself for liking such an arsehole, but it's not working since it's not a legit reason. Now, it's true that I don't get all that hype about Malfoy; he's handsome, yes, but come on, his personality is so unbearable! Then again, I'd be really happy if you two finally got together…"

Albus took a deep breath. "Alright, alright, it's true. Just, please, don't tell anyone…"

"Don't worry, you can trust me."

"Um, about what you said earlier… it sounded as if you implied that Malfoy likes me back or something…" Albus said hesitantly, feeling his heart rate quicken.

"Yeah… Er, listen, I can't be a hundred per cent sure, keep that in mind, but I think he does. There are some small details about the way he behaves that gave me that impression…"

"Mm…"

Albus lay back on the bed again. He didn't know if he should feel relieved or not. Everything was such a mess right now… Henri was avoiding his gaze, probably feeling guilty for telling him something that could turn out to be completely untrue, giving him hope for nothing. He sat up, but before Henri left the bed, Albus caught his wrist.

"Thanks… for, you know, being there but without pestering me."

"You're welcome, Al." Henri answered with a warm smile.

* * *

><p>Albus remained quiet for the rest of the week-end. He couldn't stop replaying Henri's words. Could he be right? And what if he was? …<p>

On Monday morning, they had Potions with the Slytherins. Albus kept glancing at Malfoy every few minutes. Each time, their gazes met, and each time the dark-haired boy looked away quickly, his cheeks turning pink. Albus noticed that that day Malfoy wasn't flashing him his trademark smirk, which was something very unusual and unexpected. As soon as the lesson ended, Malfoy hurried out of the classroom, which was surprising too, since he always seemed to take his time before. _Weird… _

Albus slowly gathered his books and followed Henri out of the classroom. As they were heading to their next class, Albus' bag tore in two.

"Ah, shit." the dark-haired boy sighed and kneeled down to pick up his belongings. He told his friend not to wait for him. As soon as Henri was gone, Albus saw a pale hand gather some of the scattered parchments.

"Sorry about that." Malfoy said, before murmuring _Reparo_, waving his wand towards Albus' bag.

The Hufflepuff looked up and his heart missed a beat when his eyes met two warm grey ones. Malfoy smiled awkwardly. There was definitely something different about him today… He kneeled down too and helped Albus tidy up everything. Albus barely moved. He was extremely confused by the other boy's change of behaviour towards him.

"Why are you helping?" Albus eventually asked.

"I don't like untidiness. Besides, you're blocking half of the corridor."

Albus rolled his eyes but then Malfoy added: "And I… I wanted to…"

The dark-haired boy gave him a questioning look. "To what?" he asked in trembling voice, because it was only now he realised how close they were. Malfoy looked around hastily, then leaned in a bit more. Albus' eyes widened. He could feel Malfoy's breath on his face and the way he was staring at him had never been so intense.

Albus started freaking out because he had no idea what he should do. He remembered what Henri had told him two days ago and felt a thrill of excitement pass through his body. He inhaled deeply through his mouth and waited for Malfoy to finally make a move. The blond smirked faintly and suddenly Albus thought that maybe it was another prank of Malfoy's. Albus shuffled backwards a bit, feeling somewhat betrayed, but then he forgot everything because Malfoy's lips were on his and they were soft but also rough at the same time and it felt wonderful. Albus parted his lips with a small moan and Malfoy put a hand on his nape, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. At first his tongue only teased Albus' own, but then Malfoy slid it entirely in the other boy's mouth. Albus moaned again and did what he had been longing to for so long: run his fingers through Malfoy's silky hair. Malfoy gave out a grunting noise of pleasure and slid one hand under Albus' shirt. The dark-haired boy shivered at the contact.

When Malfoy's hand reached the waistband of his pants, Albus' brain seemed to wake up from its trance. He jerked back abruptly and got up. He stood there for a moment, breathing heavily, overwhelmed by too many emotions. Malfoy looked bewildered but he didn't react. Albus felt completely lost, so he did the first, easiest, thing that came to his mind: escape. He swiftly grabbed his bag and rushed to his next class, without a second glance at Malfoy, his heart beating like crazy.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes. _

**Shiver**

**Chapter VI**

* * *

><p><em>I've become your shadow <em>

_I'd love, but I don't know how to_

_I'm always lost for words_

_You look like a thousand suns_

_I wanna be the only one left when your day is done_

_/_

_Oh, how long till your surrender?_

_Oh, how long till your surrender?_

_It's a long way for heartbreak_

_Let your heart wait and bleed_

_Oh, how long till your surrender to me?_

[_Your Surrender_-Neon Trees]

* * *

><p>"Albus, did something happen after Potions class?" Henri asked, sitting next to his friend in the Hufflepuff common room.<p>

"Er, no, why are you asking?" Albus asked, lowering his gaze.

"I don't know, but you are… you've been acting so… _weird_ since then…"

"_Weird_?"

"Yes, you're all flustered and nervous, and if anyone touches you, you jump up as if you had been electrocuted or something."

Albus cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably on his seat. "Really? I wasn't aware of it."

The dark-haired boy could feel Henri's gaze fixed on him, which made him blush even more. The two friends remained silent for a long, heavy silence. Albus knew that Henri had understood he was hiding something from him; he also knew that his friend could be trusted, but he didn't want to confide in him. Albus' shyness wasn't the only reason though. It was also because he didn't want to look like a fool. Because — unfortunately — Henri wasn't right. Malfoy didn't like him back. Albus had thought about that kiss all day long, he hadn't paid the slightest attention to any of his classes, he had analyzed every little detail of the morning's incident, and he had concluded that Malfoy had found out about the way he felt towards him, and so he had decided to 'test' him, obviously planning to make fun of him later. And since Albus wasn't good at controlling/hiding his emotions, he had fallen right into the trap.

Albus sighed silently and then glanced at Henri. He was scribbling something on a piece of parchment, probably doing some homework. Albus wasn't in the mood to do anything right now, so he got off the sofa and told his friend that he would go rest in their dorm. Henri nodded absently.

Albus was feeling even worse now that he was alone. He didn't like seeing Henri upset. There was a part of him that wanted to go back there and make up for it, but also another selfish part that wanted to protect himself. Then again, not telling Henri the truth wasn't such a clever thing to do since he'd hear soon enough from the rest of the school. So maybe it would be better is his friend heard it from him first… Or maybe the best solution would be to stay locked somewhere until the end of the school year… which was in a little less than two weeks, so it wouldn't be that difficult… not anywhere near Moaning Myrtle though, because that girl was crazy.

He had seen her only once, when a 12-year-old James had persuaded him that visiting the girls' toilets would be fun, and it hadn't been a pleasant encounter at all. As soon as she saw him, she had started squealing and giggling uncontrollably. She had then told him that he looked like the exact copy of his "incredibly talented and unbearably sexy" father. Albus had been grossed out by the things she said and had attempted to leave, but his brother had thought it was too hilarious and had forced him to stay a little longer. In the end, she tried to make Albus promise her he would come to see her as often as he could, and said that he was free to use the Prefects' bathroom whenever he wanted. _What a creeper…_ James had obviously needed a _really_ long time to get over it and stop teasing his younger brother.

Albus smiled at the memory, cherishing the good old times. Being a child was definitely easier…

* * *

><p>Albus didn't sleep at all that night. He kept thinking and thinking, but he couldn't even manage to decide whether he was happy Malfoy had kissed him or not. Sure, he had dreamed about that moment for years, but if it was only for a bad joke… Now he finally knew what Malfoy's lips felt like, but was it worth it? Wouldn't it be worse now that he wanted more but knew he couldn't? And was it worth enough to have to endure the Slytherin's taunts, to know that there were no feelings involved on Malfoy's part? Maybe in life it's better to desire something rather than have it; because when you actually possess it, the magic of the unknown is gone… or not? Maybe it depends on the nature of that something… Love isn't for sale goods you can buy with money and be satisfied with for a while. It isn't superficial. It's deep and meaningful; it's supposed to be the key to happiness. Besides, people say 'to <em>find<em> love'. So you just had to be lucky enough… But what happened if you weren't? Albus had never been very lucky in his life… He realised now how naïve he had been for hoping that maybe someday the boy he liked would miraculously change his mind and like him back. But hope never dies, right?

The next morning, during breakfast, Albus didn't glance even once at the Slytherin table. It had been a challenge, since it had become a habit to look for Malfoy all the time, but he had still surprisingly succeeded. He continued completely ignoring Malfoy during the classes they had in common, and Albus felt quite proud of himself, because he would have never thought he was capable of it. Actually, he didn't dare look at any of the Slytherins, fearing that they'd instantly start laughing at him. Malfoy apparently didn't appreciate Albus' new behaviour, because at the end of their last class of the day, he stopped him at the door of the classroom.

"Potter, could I have a word with you?"

"We have nothing to talk about." Albus said dryly, not looking at him, and gave Henri a nod, walking away from the Slytherin, thankful that his friend's expression had remained neutral. Malfoy didn't insist, which was a relief, but also a bit disappointing at the same time.

Later in the afternoon, Albus and Henri studied together in the library, but there was an uncomfortable silence between them. Henri hadn't asked anything concerning Malfoy, but it was obvious that he was dying of curiosity, he just didn't want to bring up the subject first. Then Rose had come too, and things had gotten slightly better. When they left, a few hours later, the two boys went directly to their dormitory. Henri played some video games and then continued reading the book he had started during the week-end. Albus was bored out of his mind. He was too lazy to do anything, so he simply stayed lying on his back for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually, he decided to find a book to read too, so he started searching for his Muggle Studies book. The textbook was nowhere in sight though, so Albus realised that he had probably forgotten it at the library earlier. The dark-haired boy told Henri where he was going and then left the room with a long sigh.

Albus crossed the dark corridors quickly and went to pick up his textbook. But fate wasn't in his favour that evening, because when he exited the library, a certain blond Slytherin appeared down the hall. Albus' heart missed a beat, and the young boy held his book tightly against his chest and turned around in the opposite direction. He heard some hurried steps and then Malfoy strongly grabbed his arm and pinned him to the wall.

"You're going to listen to me, Potter." the blond said in a fierce tone, placing one hand on each side of Albus so that he couldn't run away.

"Leave me alone!" Albus cried and tried to push the other boy away. Malfoy pushed him back in place and asked: "Why are you avoiding me? I was under the impression that you had enjoyed our small _exchange_…" he whispered, leaning closer. Albus gulped and turned his face away. "And I'd highly appreciate it if you had the amiability to look at me when I'm speaking." Malfoy added coldly. But Albus didn't obey him. He was too afraid that if their gazes met he wouldn't be able to look away anymore. Malfoy's eyes were so captivating…

"I told you to look at me! And why don't you answer me?" Malfoy asked, lifting up Albus' chin, forcing the Hufflepuff to face him.

"What do you want from me? Isn't it enough for you to have an extra reason to make fun of me now? I bet you had a good laugh with your peers yesterday, didn't you? I still don't get why they haven't said anything about it yet… What is your evil plan this time, Malfoy?"

"What plan are you talking about? You're stubborn _and_ paranoid? Look, Slytherins spread rumours faster than saying _Lumos_, so you can be reassured that I haven't told them anything."

Albus thought about it for a moment. Was it the truth? Or was it a way to make him let his guard down? Should he trust him or not? He desperately wanted to, but with that guy you never knew…

"Do you really have to analyze everything?" the blond asked, as if he could read the other boy's mind. "Can't you simply go with the flow for once?"

"I would have never thought that _you_'d say that…"

"See? You're overthinking." Malfoy said in a softer tone. "Now, how about resuming our previous activities, if you know what I mean…?"

The dark-haired boy knew perfectly well what Malfoy meant. He felt a wave of heat pass through his whole body. "I…"

The Slytherin silenced him, putting a finger on Albus' lips. Then he gently brushed that finger against the shortest boy's lower lip, tracing, _oh_ so slowly, its contour, his eyes looking almost black with lust in the dim light. When Malfoy licked his own lips, Albus felt his mouth go instantly dry, and he had the urge to be the one to lick those deliciously pink lips. His breathing had gone uneven and his heart was ready to explode. Malfoy bent his head and then…

"What is going on here? Malfoy get off my brother right now!"

Albus jumped up and stared at James with round eyes. Malfoy backed away, clearly not pleased by the situation.

"You should both be in your respective dorms... And _you_, Malfoy, should be more careful if you don't want to get into trouble. I hope I don't have to remind you that bullying is forbidden in our school…" James said in a bossy voice.

"We were just talking, _Mr perfect Prefect_." Malfoy said.

"Yeah, _right_. And five points from Slytherin for being impolite."

Malfoy opened his mouth to protest but James didn't give him the time. He turned his back to the blond and pulled Albus with him. "Come on, Al, I'll accompany you back to your common room. You better be grateful I was here."

Albus coughed awkwardly but didn't comment. He tried to glance behind him but his brother pulled his arm violently and began walking faster. "You don't need to take me there, you know? I'm not an infant." Albus complained, feeling extremely embarrassed.

"Shut up and walk. I've had enough of your stupid, childish rivalry with that bloody Slytherin."

The younger Potter frowned but decided that it would be better not to make a fuss, so he followed the Gryffindor without another word, though silently cursing the day they had chosen _him_ as a Head Boy.

* * *

><p><em><span>AN: James is the biggest cockblocker on Earth. The end. (Remember that time with Teddy and Victoire?...) _

_Also, I know that Head Boy/Girl and Prefect isn't the same thing, so forgive Scorpius' mockery._

_Thanks for reading!_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes. _

**Shiver**

**Chapter VII**

* * *

><p><em><span>AN: First of all, thanks for your feedback. Secondly, I apologize for updating later every time. Also, this chapter is kind of plotless… sorry._

_**Warning:** slight adult content. But hey, it's a slash fic rated M…_

* * *

><p><em>I'm a moth to your flame<em>

_And my wings are burning_

_Burning _

_Still my desire's the same_

_And you do this to me_

_Oh you do this to me_

_/_

_I began to realize _

_That nothing else makes sense_

_It's you and I and no one else_

_Tell me what happens next_

_/_

_Oh oh oh oh_

_You put on a show_

_My honest reaction_

_I can't stop this attraction_

[_Attraction_-Neon Trees]

* * *

><p>Albus bit into his sandwich, keeping his eyes on Malfoy. He had been studying the other boy for a while now. Malfoy was casually chatting with his friends. None of them seemed to look in his direction, which most probably meant that Malfoy hadn't lied to him about keeping their kiss a secret. Albus needed to find out what the Slytherin's intentions were. Damn it, if James hadn't interrupted them last night, things could have become clearer… Malfoy finally turned his gaze towards him, and after a few seconds of eye contact, he tilted his head slightly to the right, nodding discreetly towards the entry of the Great Hall. Then he quickly checked if anyone had seen him and resumed the conversation with his housemates, as if nothing had happened. But Albus had noticed that Ethan Wilson — who sat on Malfoy's left — had glanced at both of them with a suspicious look. Albus also noticed the way Wilson's hand brushed against his boyfriend's far too often to be accidental, and realised that he felt a bit jealous. They were young, in love, and free. They didn't care about what other people would say, they didn't have to hide the fact that they were together, nor fear being discovered if they weren't careful enough. It was all Albus wanted… Was it too much to ask? Could he and Malfoy ever be like that?<p>

At some point, Malfoy got up and left the room. Albus hesitated for a moment but eventually got up too.

"Where are you going?" Henri asked.

"Er, I just remembered that I forgot something. See you in class." Albus mumbled in a hurry.

He tried to walk calmly, but he almost ended up running. Now that he thought about it again, this whole secrecy thing was rather exciting. As soon as he reached the door, a hand closed firmly around his wrist and dragged him in a small, empty, narrow corridor. Then Malfoy let go of his arm and pushed him gently against the wall.

"This time you're all mine." Malfoy whispered, his breath tickling the skin under Albus' ear. He put his hands on the other boy's hips, pulling him closer, and started kissing his jaw line, sucking lightly on it. Albus gasped and slid a hand between their chests, stopping the blond.

"Wait… Malfoy…" Albus whimpered.

"Why?" Malfoy asked, brushing his lips against Albus' in a feather-light way. The dark-haired boy lost his train of thought for a brief moment. He gripped his fingers on Malfoy's shirt, as if to find some support.

"I… First I want to know why… why you're treating me differently…"

Malfoy sighed, and his expression became thoughtful. "Let's say that I like you more than I should for someone I'm supposed to loathe." he said in an amused tone after a short silence. "Don't get too flattered though, Potter, it's not going to be a fluffy love story." Malfoy added and Albus' smile instantly faded. "Be logical, we don't even know one another." the blond said hastily.

"So what? You just want to have sex with me?" Albus exclaimed, outraged.

"Yes… No! I mean no… Well, partly."

Albus studied Malfoy's face carefully. The Slytherin looked serious, but there was something about the way his features were twisted in a fierce determined expression that made Albus think Malfoy was hiding something from him. Either way, he should have known better. It was obvious that Malfoy wasn't his Prince Charming. He'd use him for his own amusement until he got bored and then he'd dump him, just like he would do with a vulgar piece of trash. Or maybe Malfoy simply wanted to try something new, and who was better than Albus to experiment with? According to Malfoy, Albus was a weak, easily scared boy, to whom he could do anything he wanted since the Hufflepuff wouldn't have the guts to react or fight back. It was mostly true anyway, though Albus couldn't say that it pleased him to know what a low esteem Malfoy held him in. The worst part was that even knowing all of this, he still had a crush on that boy. Right now, he was even more horrified to realise that he actually wouldn't mind being Malfoy's 'toy', as long as he would get something from it too.

_What is wrong with me?_

Maybe, after all, he wasn't in _love_ with Malfoy like he had thought he was. Maybe Malfoy understood reality better than him, with his cynical approach of things. No, not 'maybe'; it had to be this way. Albus wasn't used to thinking the same way as Malfoy, but now that he gave it a try, he could see his point. They were teenagers. Teen _boys_. It was only normal to judge more with their hormones than their minds, right? Truth be told, Albus hadn't realised he was gay before hitting puberty, which meant that it must be something superficial, carnal… He liked Malfoy only for his looks. Albus was certain that if he wasn't drawn by the blond's physical appearance, he would never have been interested in him. Everything beneath Mafloy's pretty shell was loathsome. So in conclusion, Malfoy's idea seemed like a good one. It would probably help Albus get over his I'm-in-love illusion.

"What's got you thinking so hard?" Malfoy asked at last.

"Nothing." Albus answered and managed a smile. "We better get going, class will start any moment."

Malfoy's face fell in disappointment.

"We can, er, meet, later…" Albus said and felt his cheeks get hot.

"Define _later_."

"After class. What's your last one today?"

"Ancient runes."

"Okay. I-I'll meet you there."

Albus felt a thrill of excitement. Feeling so determined was a novelty for him.

"Alright." Malfoy said with a small smirk.

And then, on a spur of the moment, Albus got on his tiptoes and pressed his lips to Malfoy's. The Slytherin responded eagerly, wrapping his arms around Albus' waist. The kiss deepened quickly, their bodies grinding against each other. The dark-haired boy felt something hard against his thigh, and he pretty much lost it. He let his weight push Malfoy backwards, until the other boy was trapped between his body and the wall. The blond tensed a little, not used to being the controlled one. Albus ran his tongue over Malfoy's upper lip, then lightly bit his lower one. A ragged breath escaped from Malfoy's mouth. His grip around Albus tightened. The shorter boy felt almost dizzy. He was extremely turned on, and he was impressed by his ease at taking the upper hand in kissing, since he hadn't kissed anyone before Malfoy. It had to be some sort of instinct that had awakened… One of Malfoy's hands wandered a bit too far, but this time Albus didn't stop him. The hand slid in Albus' pants and gently squeezed one of his buttocks, before starting to tease his butt crack. Albus moaned against Malfoy's open mouth.

Yes, that was it. It was only lust, Albus reassured himself. Everything was much simpler than he had imagined. He was going to be perfectly fine. You couldn't be truly in love with someone just for their physique, could you? Albus didn't care about anything anymore. Feeling Malfoy's heated body against his, and tasting his lips was enough to satisfy him. Some _other_ things would be nice too, but it could wait a little. A teeny tiny little bit.

"_Malfoy_." Albus breathed, taking a step backwards. "We have to go."

"You can't do this to me and simply leave me like that." Malfoy said in a husky voice, pulling the other boy closer again. Their lips met for a brief moment and then Albus said: "I have to. Besides, haven't you heard that _teasing is better than pleasing_?"

"You, fucker." Malfoy said with a chuckle. Albus needed a lot of effort and self-control to tear himself away from the blond, but he did it, and rushed to the main hallway before Malfoy had the time to catch him.

* * *

><p>Henri watched Albus shift awkwardly on his seat — again. His friend had been agitated since their first class, and the more time passed, the more nervous he became. He kept crossing and uncrossing his legs every five seconds, tapping his fingers on his desk. Something had happened, obviously, but again, Albus didn't want to tell him what. Albus' behaviour was starting to get annoying. They barely talked to each other these days, since Albus' mind was always elsewhere. Weren't they supposed to be best friends? Why did Albus think he couldn't trust him? Henri felt like he was slowly losing him… He wanted to know what was bothering Albus so much and, if he could, give him some advice. But his friend wasn't the only one acting strangely lately… Malfoy had stopped picking on Albus on every possible occasion. Instead, he and the dark-haired boy exchanged a quick glance every now and then, but there wasn't a hint of hostility in the way they looked at each other. It looked almost… intimate. Had Malfoy finally made clear to Albus that he liked him? If so, why was Albus so worried? What was all that mysticism for?<p>

The sound of chairs being moved around interrupted Henri's thoughts. Albus was slowly gathering his books. He lowered his head as soon as their eyes met. _Strange, indeed. _Henri sighed, took his bag and left the classroom. He leaned against the wall opposite to the door and waited. He noticed that Albus' moves became even slower…

"Hey!" a feminine voice said cheerfully.

_Rose._

"Oh, hey." Henri greeted her back, a wide smile appearing across his face. Her cheeks had an adorable pink tint to them, and her auburn hair looked slightly tousled, as if she had run.

"Um, Albus told me that you got into reading…" Rose said hesitantly.

Henri felt himself blush. _Damn you, Albus. You keep secrets from me but you don't keep mine…_

"Er, yeah…" he eventually answered.

"Well, I thought… I was wondering if you'd like to come over to our common room so I could show you my favourite ones - books, I mean - to see if some of them would interest you." she said in one breath. "Albus doesn't need to come. He's already heard every little detail about them." she added quickly, her face turning even redder.

Henri felt his heart rate quicken. Rose never stumbled on words, nor blushed. What was happening to everyone all of sudden?

"Yes, sure. With pleasure."

Rose grinned from ear to ear, making Henri's chest warm up in a very sweet, pleasant way. At that moment, Albus sneaked out of the classroom, pretending not to see them.

"Al! Won't you say 'hi' to your beloved cousin?" Rose called out, waving at him.

Albus froze. He turned to face them, his expression guilty. "Hi." he mumbled. "I have something I have to do, I'll see you both later." he added hastily.

Rose gave Henri a questioning look. Henri shrugged.

"What is he up to?" she asked after her cousin was out of sight.

"I honestly have no idea. Anyway, let's go take a look at those books, shall we?"

* * *

><p>Scorpius was impatient by nature. So maybe Albus was only a minute or two late, but he already felt anxious. And a bit vexed… Malfoys shouldn't be kept waiting. What if Albus didn't keep his promise? Scorpius couldn't stay for too long, or else his roommates would get suspicious.<p>

He still wasn't sure if this had been a good idea. He feared he would eventually get attached to Albus if they started spending time together — whatever they did during that time. He didn't want to fall in love with him; he shouldn't. Feelings were dangerous. Once you're at their mercy, it's hard to escape, to vanquish them. And if love is one-sided, you suffer. _Scorpius_ would suffer. He didn't want to know what it feels like to have someone missing in your life. Albus had basically agreed to sleep with him. Apart from his initial reaction, he hadn't seemed bothered by the fact that it would be only something momentary, so Scorpius had to continue pretending that it was only about sex. Not that _that_ part wasn't valid… He wondered if Albus was more experienced than him in that area… Probably not. He had never heard that the Hufflepuff was ever in a relationship with anybody. But then why with him? Scorpius had his own reasons, but what about Albus? Was it curiosity? Was he confused about his sexuality and thought of this as a test? Scorpius had gone through that weird, unsettling phase. At the beginning of this year, when Melanie White — a fifth year Slytherin — had started flirting with him, he had believed that the attraction he felt towards Albus had been only an illusion. She was cute and made him feel important, so he ended up liking her. They had soon started dating, and for a short period it had been nice, but as weeks passed, Scorpius slowly got bored and realised that she wasn't the person he wanted. He couldn't stop mentally comparing her to Albus. She had probably realised that he had lost interest in her because she decided to put an end to their affair after almost two months of being together, with the excuse that, unlike what their housemates believed, he was far from being a 'dream boy'. _Hmph. What a bitch, really._ A few days later, he had seen her snogging a seventh year Slytherin in their common room… She hadn't seemed to miss him _at all_.

He heard someone clear his throat. "Malfoy?"

Scorpius turned his head to see Albus standing right next to him. Excitement and stress took over him simultaneously. What was he supposed to do next? He had completely forgotten to think about it. The dark-haired boy tilted his head to the side, his gaze questioning.

"Erm… Follow me." Scorpius said in a low voice and started walking away. Albus obeyed instantly. The blond stopped abruptly and turned around, putting his index finger on Albus' chest. "Discreetly, Potter." Albus bit his lip, nodding. Scorpius quickly looked away from the other boy's mouth and headed towards the main stairs. This time, Albus didn't follow him so obviously. _Good boy._

Scorpius had just remembered an old classroom that no one used any more, where he liked to go when he wished to be alone. Nobody would see them there, nor interrupt them. After they entered the room, Scorpius locked the door, took a deep breath, and stepped closer to Albus, who had sat on a table. Albus' gaze looked somewhat defiant. Scorpius stopped moving, his face only a few inches from Albus'. The dark-haired boy crossed his feet around Scorpius' ankles and raised his chin, inviting him to close the distance between them. Scorpius slowly leaned in, and their lips finally touched. Albus placed an arm around Scorpius' neck, his other hand holding tightly the blond by the waist. Scorpius' right hand went to cup Albus' hot cheek, and he rested his left one on his lower back. Their kiss soon became passionate, Albus resting on his elbows, Scorpius almost lying on top of him. Scorpius could tell how aroused Albus was, which in turn made him harden even further. He rubbed his hips against Albus' just enough to make the other boy moan helplessly. Albus lay completely on the desk, pulling down Scorpius as well. Scorpius didn't complain. He found himself half straddling the other boy, with Albus' fingers tangled in his hair. Struggling with the knot of Albus' tie, he began trailing wet kisses down Albus' neck. He eventually managed to get rid of the annoying piece of cloth, and began to unbutton Albus' shirt.

"You know what would be funny, Potter?" Scorpius asked in a hoarse voice, his mouth a few millimetres from Albus' throat.

"What?" Albus moaned.

Scorpius had a slight laugh. "Imagine if, at this very instant, I followed the saying 'teasing is better than pleasing' and just left you here horny as hell…"

Albus made a weird sound, something between a gasp and a groan of pain. "No... You can't do that..." he panted.

"Why not? It would be a fitting punishment for what you did to me this morning." Scorpius muttered sweetly. "Because of you, I had to skip my first lesson." he added, his voice even lower. "To… _release the tension_." And as he said so, Scorpius ran his tongue over one of Albus' nipples. The dark-haired boy arched his back with a faint whimper, the knee between Scorpius' legs jerking up, causing a friction between his thigh and Scorpius' crotch, sending a jolt of electricity through the blond's body. Scorpius lowered himself so that the totality of his body was pressed against Albus', and locked their lips together. Albus raised slightly his pelvis in a waving motion, making both of them groan in pleasure, a move that led to an intense frottage session.

Albus clung to him and gave a small stifled cry, and then, a few seconds later, Scorpius came too. The blond tried to straighten up a bit, but Albus held him firmly close to him.

"Don't go yet." Albus begged.

Scorpius felt his racing heart tighten. He stared at the other boy silently. Albus' eyes were so green, so hypnotising, so… beautiful.

"We can't stay here forever, you know?" he said at last. He shouldn't spend too much time with him, Scorpius reminded himself. Besides, their meetings had to remain a secret, and disappearing for a long time without any excuse wouldn't help.

"Tomorrow?" Albus asked hopefully.

Scorpius couldn't help but grin.

"We'll see."


	8. Chapter 8

_**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes. _

**Shiver**

**Chapter VIII**

* * *

><p><em><span>AN: This chapter is shorter than what it was meant to be, but I felt like adding something else wouldn't fit with the ending of the last scene. I'll try to make up for it in the next one! _

_Also, I wrote a part of this chapter a bit differently than what I use to (it wasn't even planned actually, what I write changes depending on my mood), so I don't know, tell me if you liked it or not or something… _

_**Warning:** pwp._

* * *

><p><em>I feel you, in every vein<em>

_In every beating of my heart_

_Each breath I take_

_/_

_I feel you, anyway_

_In every tear that I might shed_

_In every word I've never said_

_/_

_I feel you_

_I feel you_

_I feel you_

_I feel you_

[_I feel you_-Schiller]

* * *

><p>Only one day had passed since their 'meeting', but Albus couldn't wait to see Scorpius again. He had a hard time staying still, and felt like he was talking a lot more than usual. His mind could only focus on <em>one<em> thing, which wasn't convenient, especially during class. He knew he was being ridiculous, but the fact that Scorpius hadn't spoken to — or kissed him — since yesterday, bothered him more than anything. Albus feared that from now on, he'd go crazy if he didn't get a daily make-out session. No, actually Albus was sure of it. This certainty should probably worry him, but right now he couldn't think logically. He understood that since they had agreed to keep their relationship — or whatever it was — a secret, they wouldn't be able to see each other freely whenever they wanted, however keeping a distance between them was easier said than done.

The dark-haired boy decided that if Scorpius didn't make any move today, he would be the one to do it tomorrow. It was impossible to bear waiting any longer.

* * *

><p>Avoiding Albus turned out to be a harder task than expected, Scorpius realised. First of all, he was avoiding the other boy because he <em>had<em> to, not because he _wanted_ to. In fact, he wanted to do the exact opposite. But he knew that the sooner they went all the way, the sooner they'd stop seeing each other. Scorpius didn't want things to happen too quickly, but since he couldn't know what Albus planned to do, he was trying to gain some time. Then, there was Albus who didn't make things any easier. Scorpius could feel the Hufflepuff's eyes on him all the time. The dark-haired boy also seemed to pop up everywhere Scorpius was - surely an odd coincidence…

Scorpius abruptly turned around. The corridor was empty. He had a strong feeling he was being followed though… Scorpius shook his head and continued on his way. A few moments later he stopped again. There was definitely someone watching him; he could sense another presence near him. But this time Scorpius didn't look around. Instead, he simply changed direction and headed to the small, unused classroom he had showed Albus before, because he was pretty sure that that someone who was following him was none other than Albus Potter himself.

Scorpius entered the room, leaving the door open, and stood there, his back turned to the entrance. He didn't have to wait long. Scorpius heard the door close, and a few seconds later, a familiar voice whispered in his ear:

"I've missed you."

_Oh, I've missed you too_, Scorpius wanted to say but thought better of it.

"I told you to wait until you got a message from me or something." he said instead in a cold tone, turning to face Albus.

Albus shrugged. "I lost my patience. It's been three whole days, Scorpius."

The blond tensed. "Don't call me _Scorpius_!" he spat.

"Why not?" Albus asked, looking slightly hurt.

"Isn't it obvious, Potter? There is no room for familiarity between us, and besides, if you get used to it, you might call me that in front of the others, and how would you explain that, eh?"

It wasn't entirely a lie, but the main reason was that Scorpius felt the need to keep a distance between them because he was afraid to get too attached to the other boy.

"Okay, _Malfoy_…" the dark-haired boy said.

_Ugh_, how horrible 'Malfoy' sounded now that he had heard Albus say his first name!

Scorpius cleared his throat. "So… why did you follow me? What do you want?"

Albus stepped closer to him. _Way_ too close. Scorpius could feel his pulse starting to accelerate.

"I want… to touch you…" Albus muttered, putting his hands on the blond's chest, slowly caressing him. Scorpius was rooted to the spot. The dark-haired boy rested one hand on the Slytherin's racing heart, and Scorpius cursed himself for letting Albus know how much he was affected by him. Then, Albus ran his other hand up to Scorpius' cheek. "To kiss you…" he breathed before softly brushing his lips against Scorpius'. "To feel you…" Albus said in a sough, pressing their bodies together. Albus was rock hard. Scorpius moaned, and he couldn't do anything else, really, it was as if his whole body had gone numb. "To taste you…" Albus murmured, his mouth against Scorpius' ear, and then he slowly kneeled down, his hands sliding down the sides of the blond's body, until they stopped on his hips.

_Oh no…_

_Oh yes!_

_Oh God._

Albus' fingers followed the line of Scorpius' waistband, then unfastened his belt in a delicate way, before unbuttoning his pants and zipping down the fly.

"W-what are you doing?" Scorpius asked stupidly, having nothing better to say.

"_Isn't it obvious_, Malfoy?" Albus replied, mimicking his voice.

"Potter, the break ends in five minutes…"

"Five minutes is more than enough." Albus said with a cocky grin.

Now, did he mean that in a bad or good way? ... Inhaling deeply through his nose, Scorpius tried to relax; he was on the verge of shaking. Thankfully, he could support himself on the desk behind him. He closed his eyes, which seemed like the best thing to do at the time. When Albus' fingertips touched his skin, Scorpius couldn't stop himself from shivering, lightly at first, then much more when, after a few breathtaking seconds, he finally felt Albus' tongue. It followed the length of Scorpius' cock, from the base to the tip, back again from the tip to the base, Albus' lips never making contact with it. That boy sure knew how to tease… Scorpius opened his eyes and looked down. A small crooked smile appeared on his face when his gaze met Albus' own, as he realised the dark-haired boy had been watching him all along. The Slytherin ran a hand through Albus' messy — but surprisingly soft — hair, before smirking widely and pushing Albus' head lower. A pair of lips closed around him at last, causing him to groan in pleasure. The blond shut his eyelids again, to focus only on the new, wonderful sensation.

"I… I'm going to… come… soon… _uh_" Scorpius warned some time later, tightly gripping Albus' hair.

The young boy didn't stop though. He worked his mouth faster and faster, with more pressure and suction, until Scorpius couldn't last any longer. Scorpius stayed with his eyes closed, breathing heavily, his whole body burning. He lowered his hands on each side of the desk, freeing the other boy. As soon as he did so, Albus stood up and crushed his lips on Scorpius' into a deep kiss, wrapping his arms around Scorpius' neck. A strange unpleasant taste filled Scorpius' mouth, but knowing what it was turned him on more than he would have expected. His hands went to grope Albus' arse, his fingers soon digging into his butt cheeks.

"Please… tonight…" Albus moaned, stroking Scorpius' cheek. "I _want_ you... So much…."

Scorpius gulped and stared at the pleading emerald eyes for a long moment, then at Albus' lips. They were red and swollen, and a bit shiny. The Slytherin gulped with difficulty again. How could he resist him?

"Tomorrow. I promise." Scorpius whispered before kissing Albus softly.

_Tomorrow…_

_I promise…_

'_Promise'…_

Scorpius frowned and nuzzled his head against Albus' neck, hiding his face.

_This is bad_, he thought. _This is really bad. I find myself unable to refuse him anything. I was supposed to be the one doing whatever I wanted to him, and now, I feel so weak, so helpless, whenever I'm with him… So fucking weak. Why? What has gone wrong?_

Scorpius passed his arms around Albus' torso and held him tightly against his chest, his hands pressing the other boy's back with more strength than necessary, almost clinging onto him desperately, like for a farewell.

_Why can't I just tell him that I changed my mind? Why can't I tell him to get lost? That I never want to see him again? Or simply stay away from him…_

"Malfoy… are you alright?" Albus eventually asked hesitantly. He didn't try to loosen the blond's grip though. Instead, Albus rested both hands on Scorpius' broad, muscled shoulders from behind.

"Mhm." was Scorpius' only answer. He didn't want to know what his voice would sound like if he actually said something.

_No._

_No, I'm not alright. But I can do it. I can do it, Albus. Tomorrow, I'll do as you wish, and then I'll prove you; I'll prove to me, that I'm no one's prey. I shouldn't have succumbed to my desires. I made a mistake. An unforgivable mistake. But I can still fix it. I can still go back to when I was only a spiteful jerk to you. It will be easy… You'll see, everything is going to be like it was before, as if nothing had changed. This reckless… 'game' will be just like an old, distant, forgotten memory…_

A faint sigh escaped from Scorpius' lips. His mind was confused. He couldn't even tell anymore if he was mentally reassuring Albus or his own self. Scorpius straightened up and moved away from the other teen.

"Um, I think it's time to go." he declared, and started buttoning his pants. Albus turned away, in an incomprehensible moment of prudishness. But it was better this way.

"You can leave, you know?" Scorpius said, in what he hoped to be a neutral tone.

The Hufflepuff mumbled something that Scorpius didn't catch, and went to pick up something from the floor, near the classroom door. Scorpius hadn't noticed it earlier. It looked like a cloak with an odd pattern or something. _Whatever. _Scorpius stared at Albus' back until the dark-haired boy was gone, then got off the desk and fastened his belt. He made sure his clothes looked neat, and then left too.

_Albus, I'm scared._

_I'm scared of myself, of the side of me I didn't know._


	9. Chapter 9

_**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes. _

**Shiver**

**Chapter IX**

* * *

><p><em><span>AN: Gosh, I'm so late! I'm terribly sorry… I wanted to wish you happy holidays and merry Christmas (to those who celebrate it). :(_

_Anyway… HAPPY NEW YEAR!_

_**Warning:** adult content (yet again… *hides*)_

* * *

><p><em>The walls start breathing<em>

_My mind's unweaving_

_Maybe it's best you leave me alone_

_A weight is lifted_

_On this evening_

_I give the final blow_

_/_

_When darkness turns to light_

_It ends tonight_

_It ends tonight_

[_It Ends Tonight_-The All-American rejects]

* * *

><p>Rose saw Henri and Albus exit the History of Magic classroom. She went to greet them, with a large smile on her freckled face.<p>

"Hi, boys!"

"Hey, Rosie." Albus said, grinning back.

Henri gave her a small nod, his gaze warm. Rose's smile grew wider.

"Oh, Henri," she said, "About what we agreed the other day, you can come tonight if you want."

"Okay, perfect." Henri replied. He looked satisfied, Rose noticed, pleased.

"Whoa, wait!" Albus intervened. "What's going on here? Have I missed an episode or something?"

"Rose is introducing me to the wonderful world of literature." Henri answered, making a big waving movement with both of his hands.

Then he laughed lightly, and her cousin did the same. "I see…" Albus said in an amused tone, giving her a knowing glance.

Rose was starting to feel a bit nervous, so she tried to change the subject: "By the way, how did your Astronomy test go? You were quite stressed about it, Al."

"Er… I…" he mumbled, lowering his head. "Let's not talk about it…"

Henri bit his lip, trying to restrain his laughter. Rose giggled, and covered her mouth apologetically when the dark-haired boy glared at them.

She cleared her throat, about to say something, when suddenly a tall guy wearing a Slytherin uniform hustled Albus.

_Ugh, not again…_ Rose thought as she recognised him.

"Ah, Potter!" Malfoy exclaimed, pretending to be surprised. "Forgive me; I didn't see you, standing right in the corner…"

The Ravenclaw saw Henri roll his eyes in exasperation. She then focused her gaze on Albus. His mouth was slightly open, and he looked lost for words.

"I heard you completely failed yesterday's test. Congratulations Potter! You really do _suck_!" Malfoy pursued. "What happened? Your tiny brain couldn't concentrate enough?"

To Rose's surprise, Albus blushed crimson and stared at the floor. He didn't say anything. Nothing at all. _How strange…_ she thought, raising an eyebrow. Her cousin always reacted to Malfoy's taunts, even if it was only to say some silly comeback. She turned to look at Henri questioningly, but he was observing his friend too.

"Maybe you should try harder, study more." the Slytherin added, his lips twisted in his usual annoying smirk. "Like, after dinner for example, you could go to the Astronomy tower, you know, to get in the astronomy mood, and finally learn something, don't you think so, Potter?"

"_I_ don't think Albus needs any of your advice, _Malfoy_." Rose retorted.

"Relax, Weasley, I was simply trying to help for once…" Malfoy said sweetly. "Besides, the professor said he'll most likely give us a quiz in the next few days, so better be prepared, right?"

Rose gave him a murderous look, but said nothing.

"Yeah, okay, maybe you're right…" Albus spoke at last. "Now, if you're done with your daily show-off scene, you can go."

Malfoy narrowed his eyes. Then he snorted disdainfully, before turning on his heel and walking away.

"Well, that was unfortunate." Rose eventually commented, breaking the awkward silence. "He's such an arsehole."

Henri remained silent. Albus shrugged indifferently.

_Strange, indeed…_

* * *

><p>"Dinner time!" Henri shouted excitedly and fell on the sofa next to Albus. The book his friend was reading slipped off his hands. The dark-haired boy looked up, startled.<p>

"Huh? Already?"

"Yes! Come on, move your arse! I'm hungry!" Henri exclaimed, getting off the sofa with a jump. He was about to pull Albus by the arm, when he noticed how pale the boy had gone.

"Al, do you feel alright? Do you feel nauseous?" Henri asked worriedly.

"I-I'm fine." Albus mumbled. "I just… I… I don't think I'll come with you. I… I have to finish an assignment due tomorrow for, um, Muggle Studies."

"Er… okay…" Henri said, not completely convinced. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay with you then? I could help you with your assignment…"

"No, no, go eat. Rose will be waiting for you… Now that I think about it, that's probably why you were in such a hurry…"

"Maybe…" Henri admitted sheepishly.

"Isn't it the third time you talk about books? I don't remember her having _that_ many favourites…"

Henri felt himself blush. "We don't talk only about that… Rose and I are still friends, you know?"

"Hmph. Yeah…"

Thankfully, Albus was looking better now; his face had regained some colour. However, Henri couldn't help but feel a little irritated. It was only normal for Albus to want to know more about Henri's love life since they were best friends, and especially since the girl in question was a part of his friend's family, but Henri was annoyed by the fact that it was only _him_ who had to share things. Albus kept everything personal to himself, and Henri didn't dare push the matter, lest Albus get angry at him.

"Um… See you later then." Henri finally said, before leaving.

* * *

><p>"Why did Albus skip dinner?" Rose asked as they headed to the Ravenclaw common room.<p>

"He said he had an assignment to finish, and he didn't seem to feel very well…" Henri replied.

"Mmh." Rose mumbled, sceptical.

"So I guess _you_'re already done with it… right?"

"Done with what?"

"The assignment."

"What assignment are you talking about?"

"The one you have to do for Muggle Studies. You and Albus have that class in common, don't you?"

"_What?_"

The Ravenclaw was starting to be extremely confused. For a brief moment, she freaked out, thinking that she had forgotten to do all her homework. But no, she was absolutely sure they had nothing to do for that class.

"Henri, we don't have any assignment to do…"

Henri frowned. "But…" He paused, and pursed his lips. "I probably misunderstood then," he said with a sigh.

Rose felt puzzled. Why had Albus lied to him? Because it was obvious Henri hadn't misunderstood anything, he was just trying to cover for his best friend, despite the fact that he had certainly felt hurt that Albus hadn't told him the truth. But then again, Henri said her cousin wasn't feeling well, so maybe Albus was trying to find an excuse to stay in his dorm without sounding like a drama queen. Albus almost never lied though, and especially not for such a stupid reason. He was a bad liar, so he knew it was useless to hide something people would find out sooner or later. What was different this time? What was so important he couldn't even tell his best friend? What was he doing in secret?

And then it hit her.

Albus' nervousness, his late arrival to class, his poor excuses before disappearing during breaks, Malfoy's sudden lack of interest in making fun of him all the time, then Malfoy's words this morning, Albus' embarrassment, Albus' silence afterwards…

Looking back, Malfoy hadn't been subtle at all. But how could she have imagined such a thing?

_Sweet Merlin, Albus is… He and Malfoy… _

It was so unexpected, yet made perfect sense. Now that she knew, everything seemed so obvious. If she had thought more about it, paid closer attention to small details, she could have guessed it sooner. So Malfoy's teasing was his own — and only — way to get Albus' attention safely. Because, honestly, him thinking that Albus was an idiot wasn't a proper reason to annoy someone so much. Then, Albus could have simply ignored him, and waited until Malfoy got bored, but instead, he answered back every single time, sometimes even by saying something hurtful. Even before now, Rose could tell how affected her cousin was by Malfoy's insults, and now she finally understood why. Albus had carefully hidden his feeling for months, maybe even years, who knows? So if these two really were seeing each other, it explained Albus' better mood lately… If it made Albus happy, it would make her happy too, even though Rose didn't approve of his choice. But she had a bad feeling about it. She didn't trust Malfoy; she was certain he'd hurt Albus.

Rose glanced at Henri. He seemed lost in thought too. Did he suspect anything? Did he already know? No, if Albus had told him, he wouldn't need to lie to him. Henri wasn't dumb though; he knew Albus as well as her, he surely had figured out something. His reaction to the little scene this morning proved it. Too much silence meant too much knowledge in cases like those. Besides, Rose now realised it was impossible not to notice the tension between them. Moreover, whenever Malfoy was near Albus, Albus became oblivious to everything else. Rose was sure that even if the room they were in took fire, if they weren't done 'talking', neither of them would move an inch.

Yes, she could see it clearly; Malfoy mattered a lot to Albus. Therefore, Rose wished from the bottom of her heart that her fears wouldn't come true. She missed the sparkle Albus' big expressive eyes used to have… As the years had passed by, his gaze had slowly gone duller, her cousin had lost the cheerfulness he had as a child, and all she had been able to do was watch him change, completely helpless. Of course, Rose couldn't know for sure whether or not it was Malfoy's fault, but she did know with absolute certainty that if things didn't turn out well between him and Malfoy, Albus wouldn't find his old self again any time soon.

Rose sighed. She didn't have to the power to do anything about it, and pushing Henri into telling her what he knew wasn't the solution; doing so would only make getting closer to him harder. So right now, the best thing to do was to focus on the evening they were going to spend together, and decide if she should finally make a move or not. Maybe it was about time…

"Come on, we're almost there." Rose said and took Henri's hand.

* * *

><p>Albus was running. If he stopped, he'd go back to his dorm instantly. He <em>wanted<em> to go back. This didn't seem like a good idea anymore. He was so nervous he felt like he would faint at any moment. But he couldn't turn back; it would be an act of cowardice. Also, Albus hoped he hadn't misunderstood Scorpius' words, because _that_ would be atrociously humiliating.

A few minutes later, he reached his destination. Albus stood in front of the slightly open door for a long dreadful moment, his chest heaving. Merlin, he was so scared! Then, he took a deep breath and extended a trembling hand towards to door knob. _This is it_, Albus thought as his fingers closed around the cold metal, wishing he wasn't about to make the biggest mistake of his life. With his other hand, he wiped the sweat off his forehead, and then, with as much confidence he had, Albus pushed the door open.

He didn't even have time to take two steps before the door slammed closed, and he was violently pinned against a wall, face against the stones. Albus barely had the time to place his hands between his chest and the wall.

"At last." Scorpius whispered in a drawling voice, "I thought you'd stare at the wood carvings forever."

Then Scorpius brushed his lips against Albus' ear, holding him firmly by the ribs. Albus tilted his head backwards as the blond's mouth went down along his neck. A faint moan escaped from the dark-haired boy's lips. All the anxiety he had until a few moments ago faded away, replaced by a thrill of excitement. While still nibbling the base of Albus' neck, without any warning, Scorpius lowered a hand and unbuttoned Albus' pants with an abrupt move, before sliding his hand in his underpants. Albus gasped; Scorpius' hand felt like ice on his burning skin.

"So Mr Potter ran up here to me, even though he thinks I'm showy. Do you want me that much, Potter?" Scorpius muttered, and began stroking him.

"You… You embarrassed me in front of my friends…" Albus managed to say in a strangled voice.

"That doesn't answer my question."

Albus bit his lip but said nothing. Scorpius' hand stopped moving.

"I believe I asked you something, Potter."

"Yes…" Albus hastened to answer, desperately wanting the other boy to continue what he had started.

He was rewarded by a light caress.

"'Yes' what?" the blond persisted.

"Yes, I want you." Albus breathed, wiggling his hips impatiently.

To Albus' delight, the hand resumed wanking him. His nails scratched against the wall as he clenched his fists. A shiver passed through him when he pressed his cheek against the wall, between his hands, the coldness of the stones mixed to a sharp wave of pleasure causing him goose bumps. The Slytherin's grip became tighter, almost painful, and Albus felt the other boy's erection pressed between his butt cheeks. With a whimper, Albus tried to turn around, but Scorpius held him in place.

"You're fine just like that." Scorpius whispered, pushing him against the wall with more strength.

"I can't even move…" Albus complained.

"But that's the whole point, darling." Scorpius replied merciless, then grabbed him by his hair, forcing Albus to turn his face towards him, and planted a hard kiss on the Hufflepuff's lips. Albus tried his best to kiss him back, but his position was uncomfortable, his neck and scalp were hurting. He didn't stop him though.

"This way, I can do whatever I want to you." Scorpius explained a few seconds later. Albus' breathing became uneven; he felt even more aroused than he already was.

"Tell me. Tell me what you want to do to me…"

"It's no fun if I tell you… And who knew little Potter was such a naughty boy, eh?"

And as he said so, Scorpius slid both of his hands under Albus' shirt, running them up his torso, pinching lightly the dark-haired boy's nipples on his way. Albus moaned loudly and put his hands above his head, arching his back, relishing Scorpius' touch. It was true; the Slytherin could do anything to him, and Albus wouldn't resist in the slightest. On the contrary, he would even be begging for it. Honestly, Albus could barely recognise himself. He would have never thought he'd fall so low. But right now, the only thing that mattered was Scorpius. _Especially Scorpius' hands_.

Said hands decided that Albus' shirt was unnecessary and tore it off. Then, Albus felt Scorpius' lips on his shoulder. It was just a peck, but somehow its impact on the young boy was huge. The softness of it felt infinitely heavy. The gesture itself was nothing compared to what Scorpius had done earlier, though Albus was seriously startled. He couldn't understand how, nor why, Scorpius' mood, thus his behaviour towards him, could change so dramatically in such a short period of time. It wasn't the first time it had happened, and it was beginning to drive Albus crazy.

During the few moments they had shared, but also thanks to some particularly attentive observation, Albus had learned that it was when Scorpius looked the most harmless that he was truly most dangerous. After a long, seemingly unimportant silence, Scorpius would have an outburst, and he would deliberately find the most withering thing to say, his cold attitude building up a barrier between himself and the others. It reminded Albus of the peace that reigned before the storm breaks. That's how Scorpius was, like a force of nature: unpredictable, powerful, mesmerising, ferocious. His eyes were like a thunderstorm. They mostly looked colourless and plain, but sometimes they would darken, and then an indecipherable glimmer would illuminate them, before disappearing in a blink, just like lightning streaks across the cloudy sky.

Albus couldn't see Scorpius' eyes right now, but he knew that they would be almost black, unreadable, and distant. It was the crucial moment, before he would snap. Scorpius was strongly gripping Albus' shoulders, most likely leaving a mark on the boy's skin. He was probably thinking that he had involuntarily betrayed himself by showing a tiny sign of affection, and was about to 'fix' his faux pas. The dark-haired boy took this opportunity to act freely. This time, Scorpius grip loosened, and he let Albus turn to face him. As Albus had expected, Scorpius had his gaze lowered. So Albus hesitantly pressed his lips against the Slytherin's, his fingertips barely touching Scorpius' chest. The blond responded quickly. His movements were rough and aggressive, aiming to brutalise Albus. Call him a masochist, but Albus enjoyed it very much. He wrapped his arms around Scorpius' neck and took a step forward, and then another one, until the back of Scorpius' knees bumped against the armrest of a nearby sofa. Purposely or not, Scorpius fell backwards, dragging Albus with him. Then, he pulled Albus' pants and underpants down, and with some help managed to take them off completely, as well as Albus' shoes and socks. Apart from his tie, Albus was entirely naked, while Scorpius was still fully dressed. The dark-haired boy felt incredibly vulnerable, yet at the same time there was something strangely erotic about the whole situation.

Scorpius flashed him a brief crooked smile, and then took something out of his pocket that Albus couldn't see. With his left hand, the blond pulled Albus into another, slower, kiss. Then, Albus heard a clacking sound and suddenly felt a small object be laid on the curve of his back, while almost simultaneously, he felt a finger spread a cold, wet, thick substance along his butt crack. Albus quivered in anticipation as he finally realised what the blond was doing. Moving his finger in a circular motion around Albus' anus, or running it over it, Scorpius seemed to enjoy teasing the other boy. He was attentively watching Albus' face, noting even the slightest change of his expression, his smirk getting wider as each second ticked by. Albus put one hand on Scorpius' cheek, his lips almost touching Scorpius' ear.

"Do it." he whimpered.

Scorpius laughed, but not in a nice way; it had sounded like a sneer.

"Just do it…" Albus insisted, this time looking straight into Scorpius' eyes.

"You should see yourself, Potter. You act just like 5-year-old who wants candy but his mummy doesn't give it to him."

"Scorpius, please…"

The gray eyes narrowed, brows furrowing. Albus was harshly flipped over, Scorpius towering above him.

"Have you already forgotten what I told you?" Scorpius snarled, tightly holding Albus' chin.

"Sorry." Albus muttered.

Scorpius sighed, but his features softened. He withdrew his hand and lowered himself a little so that he could brush his lips against the corner of Albus' mouth, then all the way up to his ear.

"Okay, tell me what you want." he whispered, before lightly biting Albus' earlobe.

"Take your clothes off."

"All of them?" the blond asked with a cheeky grin.

"All of them."

Scorpius obeyed immediately. Albus unconsciously licked his lips as he watched him undress.

"And now what?"

Swallowing hard, Albus parted his legs. Scorpius grinned, raising an eyebrow.

"A guessing game?"

The dark-haired boy groaned in frustration. Two fingers were abruptly pushed inside of him. Albus' breath hitched.

"Is that what you want?" Scorpius whispered, withdrawing his fingers, then pushing them in again.

"Yes. _Yes…_"

Scorpius suddenly twisted his fingers awkwardly, before separating them from one another in a scissor-like motion.

"_Ow!_" Albus cried. "You're… You're hurting me…"

With his free hand, the Slytherin grabbed Albus' tie and pulled the other boy close to him. He crushed their lips together, while shoving the fingers of his other hand deeper.

"You didn't ask me to stop though. You know what? I bet it's one of your weird kinks. You like it rough, don't you, Potter?" he asked, pulling more on Albus' tie.

"Nonsense." Albus lied.

Scorpius withdrew his fingers completely, and Albus needed a serious amount of self-control to keep from complaining. The blond apparently realised it, because he said in a low voice:

"If you want something, you have to say it."

After a brief moment of hesitation, Albus took Scorpius' face between his hands. There was no way to make the other boy give up on wanting to be the leader. He was too stubborn.

"Fuck me." Albus breathed against Scorpius' slightly opened mouth. "_Please._" he added, making sure the blond wouldn't find another excuse to tease him again.

Scorpius kissed him quickly, before flipping him over. He sat astride Albus' thighs and ran his hands up the dark-haired boy's back, then ran a single finger down along his spine. Albus arched his back, raising his pelvis, his fingers clenched on a cushion under his head. A few moments after picking up the tube of lube that had fallen on the floor, Scorpius caressed Albus' butt cheeks and then pushed them apart. And, _at last_, he slid himself inside Albus' body. Albus felt all of his muscles tense; he bit the cushion, a muffled squealing sound escaping from his lips. With careful movements, Scorpius began moving slowly.

Albus would have wished to last longer, but the overwhelming flow of sensations was too intense. His body made a spasm as he came, and he could feel his pulse under every inch of his heated skin. Scorpius' thrusts became faster and deeper. The dark-haired boy felt a hand grip his hair, then a pair of lips sucking on the nape of his neck. Scorpius suddenly bit him, nails digging into his ribs, and Albus felt him come inside of him. The blond pressed his face on Albus' back, his fingers relaxing, letting his chest rest on the boy beneath him. Breathing heavily, they both stayed like this for a while, one nested into the other, waiting for the state of numbness to pass.

During that short moment of stillness, a soothing feeling of serenity grew inside Albus' heart.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes. _

**Shiver**

**Chapter X**

* * *

><p><em><span>AN: I realised I still haven't made it clear anywhere in the fic, so I'll write it here: Ethan's boyfriend's called David Collins. (I guess their ship name is 'Wollins'? It's the only name I came up with that sounds good enough…)_

* * *

><p>'<em>Cause all I wanted to say is something real<em>

_All I want you to know is how I feel_

_All I wanted to give was my heart_

_But I'm stuck here at the start_

[_What I wanted to say_-Colbie Caillat]

* * *

><p>Scorpius entered the common room. He walked right past his friends on his way to his dormitory without even looking at them. Ethan and David exchanged a quick knowing glance.<p>

"Hey, Malfoy!" Ethan called.

"_What?_" Scorpius snapped, turning towards him.

"Well, I was just telling David something about McMillan and I thought it might interest you too…"

Scorpius crossed his arms over his chest and waited.

"I don't know if you remember, but he was dating a Hufflepuff girl. So yesterday, after weeks and weeks of waiting, they finally fucked. And guess what? She totally sucked, and not in a good way." Ethan said with a light laugh.

"So what?" Scorpius asked impatiently.

"Don't you think it's funny? It's McMillan we're talking about, the one who made fun of you because you're still a virgin."

"I'm n-"

Scorpius' jaw tightened.

"You're not what?" Ethan asked, lifting an eyebrow suspiciously at him.

"I'm not sure I see why it's supposed to be 'funny'. It sounds bad for the girl, not for him." Scorpius answered, but Ethan noticed he still looked tense.

"Yeah, but remember when we had told him he's an idiot for going out with a Hufflepuff? Looks like we were right."

"Looks like _you_ were right." Scorpius corrected him. "And how can you be so sure he's telling the truth? Maybe _he_ messed it up and is using the poor girl as an excuse. He's a Slytherin, no one would dare question him."

"… says another Slytherin." Ethan commented with a smirk. "And tell me, since when do you support other houses? Especially the one you make the most fun of… or at least that you _used_ to… Or wait, would you happen to know first hand if they're good in bed?" he added, eying the other boy carefully.

"No, I wouldn't know." Scorpius replied, eyes narrowed. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to rest."

"Of course! You must be pretty tired after all that studying…"

"Yes, Ethan, it might be unknown to you, but studying can indeed tiring."

Ethan sneered briefly. "Ah, you know, if you were studying what I think you were, I believe I'm far more familiar with the subject than you."

David cleared his throat. "Ethan, stop." he whispered.

"One last thing." Ethan said, "Are there ghosts fooling around in the library or did your shirt misbutton itself on its own?"

"The only thing I know is that you're a pain in the arse." Scorpius retorted before walking away.

"Did you hear that, David? Don't you have anything to say?" Ethan exclaimed, pretending to be offended.

"Well, I wouldn't say you're a _pain_…" he replied and they both chuckled.

"Ugh, shut up already! You two are unbearable!" they heard Scorpius shout from the next room.

"Hush and go take a shower, loverboy!" Ethan shouted back.

David laughed again. "I think you've said enough." he muttered a few moments later.

"Maybe." Ethan said with a shrug, "But he has to understand we're not stupid."

"True. You didn't need to be so pushy though." David reprimanded him kindly.

"Mmh."

"At least it's a good thing he didn't realise the whole story was a lie…"

"Yeah, he was too 'busy' lately to have heard that McMillan broke up with his girlfriend a week ago. I'm sure that tomorrow Scorpius won't even remember what I said. By the way, rumour has it she wanted to wait till marriage or something. Pfff, who does that nowadays?" Ethan said, rolling his eyes.

"Don't be so harsh, you can't know how she was raised. And just try for a moment to imagine how she must have felt when he dumped her for that... I always thought he was a jerk."

"Oh, you and your sympathy." Ethan teased him and sat closer to him, wrapping an arm around David's shoulders, pulling the brown-haired boy into a half-hug.

"Can you believe it, Dave? Our dear heartless friend is head-over-heels for the school's celebrity. Oh, wait! How could I forget? It could have been way worse! It could have been his goddamn _brother_! The 'golden boy junior'! Merlin, what a nightmare _that_ would be!"

* * *

><p>"Al, are you listening to me?"<p>

"Huh? Ah, sorry, Rose."

"Who are you thinking of?" she asked in a playful tone, elbowing him lightly.

"No one. I'm just… thinking."

It was a beautiful Saturday morning, their last weekend at Hogwarts. Albus, Rose, and Henri were lying on the grass under a tree, near the Black Lake.

"I was saying that since Teddy and Victoire will only spend two weeks with us this year, we could ask our parents to travel somewhere for a change, during the two other free weeks…"

"Yeah… Why not?" Albus mumbled indifferently.

In two days they would be returning home. It had always been one of the most awaited days of the year for Albus, but not this time. He didn't want to leave until he knew what exactly was going on between Scorpius and him. Until Scorpius told him he loved him back… if he did that is. Because if Albus hadn't been certain about it in the past, now it was perfectly clear that he was in love with Scorpius; he had finally admitted it to himself. He couldn't tell why or how it had happened, nor since when, but there was one thing he was absolutely sure about: he _had_ to become Scorpius' boyfriend. It was like a vital need.

When Scorpius held him against his chest, it was only then that he felt complete, _happy_, and wished time could stop. That time could stop, or simply that he wouldn't have to dread the other boy's next words, that they wouldn't have to do everything in a rush because they didn't have the privilege of being together freely. What was Scorpius so afraid of? It probably was naïve of him, but Albus felt like Scorpius liked to be with him, that he wanted to… So why? Why hadn't he tried even once to see him after that Tuesday night in the Astronomy tower? He had just left him there, without saying anything, and Albus hadn't dared say anything either. Thankfully, Henri hadn't come back yet when he had gone to bed, and later Albus had pretended to be asleep so that he didn't have to talk to him.

Albus felt a light punch in his ribs. He turned to look at his cousin.

"Are we _that_ boring?" she teased him.

"What? No! No, sorry, I was just thinking about something."

"Yeah, I think we got that. I'm really curious to know what got you thinking so hard…"

"It's nothing. Nothing important anyway."

"Okay, time to back to the Castle." Henri said and got on his feet. "I was starting to get bored too." he added with a small guilty smile towards Rose, though Albus knew he was only doing it for him.

"Hmm, I see how it is… You are trying to imply that you don't like my company. Thank you very much, boys." Rose said, trying to sound hurt, but the grin she didn't manage to hide betrayed her.

"Nah, don't say that, it's just a misunderstanding." Henri laughed.

Then he took her hand and helped her stand up. Albus got up too, and the three of them began walking their way back to the Castle. When Albus noticed that Henri was holding Rose by the waist, he felt his chest tighten. Scorpius had never held him affectionately in front of anyone, and even when they were alone, he barely showed any sign of affection. Despite knowing he was being selfish and childish, the dark-haired boy found himself feeling jealous of his two best friends.

Rose and Henri had been a couple for five days now. Well, rather four actually. The last time Henri had gone to her common room, just before he left, when they were wishing good night to each other, Rose had kissed him. Then the next day, when they had told him the good news, Rose's eyes were shining, Henri's cheeks had never been so red, and they both seemed to be radiating happiness. They had made him feel as happy as them for a moment; forget Scorpius and all the worries that came along with him.

As they reached the Great Hall, Albus caught a glimpse of a familiar silhouette turn in a ramification of the main corridor, causing his heart to make a jump.

"Er, I… I have to go to the bathroom." Albus mumbled hastily before rushing after the Slytherin.

Ironically enough, Scorpius entered the boy's toilets. The dark-haired boy hesitated for a few seconds, then went in too. He had time to see the door of one of the bathroom stalls close. Scorpius didn't lock the door though, and judging by the silence, he wasn't moving either. Albus went closer, then stopped abruptly. _I can't do that, it's wrong_, he told himself. But it was stronger than him, as if some force was pushing him forwards.

_Uh, screw that, I'm going in._

Just as he was about to push the door open, Albus changed his mind and lowered his hand. He couldn't just burst in like that… So Albus did something that probably even worse: he quietly opened the door slightly, just enough to be able to glimpse inside.

Scorpius was sat on the toilet lid, facing the side wall, his elbows resting on his knees and his face between his hands. After a long sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair, and then rested his forehead on his palms, his eyelids shut. At some point, Scorpius half-opened his eyes, and Albus saw a tear glisten on his eyelashes. The Hufflepuff held his breath. He felt extremely ashamed for watching such a private moment in secret, but he felt even more disgusted of himself when he realised he wished to be the reason behind Scorpius' sorrow.

Albus wanted to reach out to him and comfort him. No, Scorpius would hate him if he found out Albus had seen him in this condition. The dark-haired boy was about to leave when his foot accidentally brushed against the door, pushing it open. Scorpius abruptly raised his head and turned towards him. They both froze, and the atmosphere suddenly became unbearably heavy. Albus could hear his blood pulsing through his ears. After a few never-ending seconds, Scorpius' shocked expression turned into anger.

"_What the hell are you doing here?_" he yelled, rising up.

Albus took a step backwards. "N-nothing! I-I… I was simply passing by, a-and-"

"Yeah, _sure_!" the blond scoffed. "No but seriously, have you gone mad? Aren't you even ashamed of yourself?"

"Oh, believe me, I am." Albus muttered mostly to himself.

"What are you still doing here then? Get out! Can't anyone even pee in peace? Can't you just stop stalking me all the time?"

"I-I'm not stalk-"

"I don't care about your stupid excuses! Leave me alone! I told you to get the fuck out of here! GET OUT!"

Albus took another few steps backwards. Then he clenched his fists and told himself that this time he wouldn't choose the easiest option; he wouldn't run away, and most importantly, he wouldn't obey Scorpius' orders.

"What are you scared of?" he asked as calmly as he could.

"I'm not scared of anything! Stop it with your nonsense and piss off!"

"No, I won't leave if you don't tell me why you won't even let me talk to you!"

"Because my friends have gotten suspicious, that's why! You can't do whatever you want whenever you want!"

"I think you've ignored me for long enough already! And why does it matter so much if someone finds out? Why can't we act normally like everybody else?"

"You wouldn't understand!" Scorpius shouted in exasperation.

"Of course not! How could I understand if you don't fucking _explain_ it?"

"Listen, I made it clear to you that you shouldn't expect anything from me, and if my memory is correct, you were okay with it. So don't play the victim now!"

"It's easy for you to say that! You had your fun! You fucked me and now you're getting rid of me because I'm not useful any longer! At least have the guts to say it straight to my face! Come on, Malfoy! Just say it, damn it!"

Albus was so enraged he felt like he would explode at any moment. During the fight, they had gotten so close to one another, Albus could feel Scorpius' ragged breath against his face, and the tension between them was practically palpable. Apparently, Scorpius didn't know what to say, since he just stood there staring at him, mouth slightly opened and eyes almost black. For a brief moment, Albus thought the other boy was about to tear up again. But then Scorpius suddenly grabbed him by his shirt and pushed him inside the bathroom stall, locking the door behind them. He trapped Albus in a corner and violently crushed their lips together. Albus tried to shove him away.

"No! Stop!" he cried. "I don't want you to use me ever again!"

Scorpius gripped him tightly by the shoulders. "Don't talk like that! I'm not _using_ you!"

"And what are you doing then? You just implied I meant nothing to you! I can't see what else you could be doing if not using me to satisfy your needs! And don't you dare tell me I'm a total idiot because I'm already perfectly aware of it!"

Scorpius gaped at him for a second, then lowered his hands. He closed his eyes and seemed to be trying to calm his breathing.

"You're right." he eventually said and stepped to the side, letting Albus go. "I'm sorry."

* * *

><p>Everyone was ready to board the Hogwarts Express. Scorpius scanned through the crowd. It took him some time, but in the end, he found the one he was looking for. He turned to his friends to tell them he would go greet some other people. Ethan was already looking at him, and when their gazes met, he simply nodded knowingly and winked at him. Scorpius managed a tiny grateful smile.<p>

Ethan knew; he had made sure to let Scorpius know, but then he hadn't made any other insinuation about the subject. However, Scorpius was certain his best friend had no idea of the foolishness he was about to do.

_But I have to do it. I've already waited far too long… _

Ethan knew. If _he_ knew, David knew too. Two Slytherins already knew… Slytherins couldn't keep secrets, that was well known. Then there were also Albus' friends… They probably knew too, at least the French one. He couldn't risk it any longer.

If his father happened to hear any rumour, he would kill him. Not really because it was a Potter — and a _Hufflepuff_ on top of it all — but mostly because _he_ was the only Malfoy who could continue the family line. He was expected to marry a 'nice' girl, preferably from an honourable family. So there was no way he could permit to himself to fall in love with Albus. He had already started _caring_ about the boy, damn it! What if it was too late?

_No!_ _It is not!_

Scorpius clenched his teeth and approached Albus' 'little' group. As he observed them, Scorpius realised would have spotted Albus more quickly if he had had the cleverness to look for a bunch of redheads reunited. He stopped a few feet away from them and waited for Albus to notice him. The certainty he had that the other boy would surely see him, that maybe he would have been looking for him too, was a proof that this whole story had gone too far.

Just as Scorpius expected, he caught Albus' eye effortlessly. At his sight, Albus flinched and swiftly turned his face away. Then, hesitantly, Albus looked at him again. Scorpius slightly tilted his head to the side, lifting an eyebrow meaningfully. The dark-haired boy lowered his gaze, biting his lip. He eventually said something to his friends, and began walking over to him. Before Albus reached him, Scorpius went to hide in a corner near the end of the station, away from the rest of the students. When Albus walked passed him, Scorpius grabbed his hand and pulled him back.

"Here." he muttered.

Apprehension was clearly legible on Albus' features; it plagued Scorpius with guilt. Besides, Albus most likely hated him after all he had said… His cheeks had a light pink tint to them, and the blond felt the urge to touch the boy in front of him, to caress his soft skin, run his fingertips over the freckles that decorated it…

_Scorpius, focus!_

Albus was staring at their clasped hands, looking confused. Scorpius immediately took his hand away and shoved both of them down his pockets.

"Look, I… Er… About last time, I… I didn't mean to sound so cruel, and I… Um, I didn't want things to end so badly, but now it's over and…"

"Yeah, I know… It's unbelievable how quickly time passed, but hey, we still have one other year, right?" Albus said, and it was painful for Scorpius to see his eyes light up, knowing he would have to crush his hopes.

_Ugh_, why did Albus have to make everything harder than it already was? If only he didn't have to do this…

"No, Al-_Potter_, I mean between you and I. We can't continue seeing each other. It's over." Scorpius repeated, his own words sounding like venom. "Once and for all."

Albus remained speechless, his expression unreadable. The Slytherin didn't know whether or not he should feel relieved by the boy's lack of reaction. He had done what Albus had asked him, after all, even though he was well aware of being a big pathetic coward for telling him literally at the last minute.

_Albus, please, say something… Anything…_

As a response, Albus' lower lip started trembling. Scorpius was suddenly overwhelmed by a countless amount of emotions, the main one being hatred towards his own self, for what he was doing to Albus.

_It's all my fault_, he reminded himself. His selfishness had screwed up everything…

Albus was still standing motionless, his gaze empty. Since it was the last time he could do it, Scorpius put one hand on Albus' neck, leaned in, and kissed him gently. It was one of those bittersweet kisses that were so slow you felt like the Earth had stopped spinning, but at the same time made you feel like you had only a few other moments left to live… A farewell kiss.

As soon as their lips parted, Albus made a faint whimpering sound. His eyes had reddened a little, making the bright green colour of his iris stand out even more. A teardrop was threatening to fall.

"Don't cry. It's not worth it." Scorpius whispered. _I'm not worth it._

"B-but… I-I… I…"

They heard the sound of the train whistle.

"There's nothing else left to say." Scorpius said in a decisive tone. "Goodbye." he added and then left in a hurry, without a single glance behind, before he did something he would highly regret later on.

_I'm so sorry, Albus. I wish I had a choice._

* * *

><p><em>It's on the tip of my tongue but I'm still afraid<em>

_Sometimes the only thing words do is get in the way_

_Sometimes the easiest things are the hardest to say_

_But I don't wanna lose you, drive you away_

_Don't wanna confuse you, I need you to stay_

_Only wish you knew what I wanted to say_

_Only wish you knew what I wanted to say_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes. _

**Shiver**

**Chapter XI **

_A/N: I am really really really sorry for updating so late! I was busy, my beta was busy, … OTL_

* * *

><p><em>Well, I'd never want to see you unhappy<em>

_I thought you'd want the same for me_

_Goodbye, my almost lover_

_Goodbye, my hopeless dream_

_I'm trying not to think about you_

_Can't you just let me be?_

_So long, my luckless romance_

_My back is turned on you_

_I should've known you'd bring me heartache_

_Almost lovers always do_

[_Almost Lover_-A Fine Frenzy]

* * *

><p>The alarm clock rang. The young boy rubbed his eyes lazily. He hadn't slept all night… His head felt so, <em>so<em> heavy. He straightened up while stretching and glanced at his watch from habit. Screwing up his eyes because of the light entering through the window, he sat on the edge of his bed. What day was it again?

_Ah, yeah, right._

_September 1st… _

_Brilliant. _

A deep sigh that sounded more like a groan escaped his from lips as he ran his hands down his face. He would see him again… There was a part of him that was dying to see him, even if it was only for a few seconds and just from a distance, and another one that wished he didn't have to see him ever again. During those past two months, there hadn't been a single day he hadn't thought of him. Time wasn't healing quickly enough. Actually it wasn't healing at all. And now that they'd have to coexist anew, it would get even worse, the other boy's presence tirelessly reminding him of the past, of the moments they had shared together, which were only cherished memories now.

"Albus! Hurry up!" he heard his mother call from downstairs.

"'Coming!" the dark-haired boy shouted.

* * *

><p>Albus was absently looking outside, leaning on the quarter window of the car. Soon, they'd arrive at the King's Cross station… Soon, his life would be turned upside down once again, because from the very moment he saw Scorpius' face, everything would feel like that awful day at the station two months ago…<p>

He remembered that day as if it were yesterday, but at the same time, it felt like years had passed since then. Albus could never forget how lost and powerless he had felt, how his entire world had collapsed because of two simple words. _It's over_, Scorpius had said, and his life had lost all meaning. It had taken him some time for the information to sink in; he couldn't believe his ears. The shock had been so strong he hadn't been able to react in any way. One of the most precious things he had thought was his had been mercilessly taken away from him. And then, Scorpius had dared to kiss him as if he truly felt something, twisting the knife in the wound he had just inflicted.

It had been the worst summer of his life, constantly trying to assemble the broken remains of his heart, and simultaneously having to pretend everything was all right, to hide how lifeless he was feeling. Obviously, his family and friends had noticed it, and had attempted to make him talk, but when they realised their efforts were in vain, they stuck to doing their best to cheer him up. Albus was grateful, and he felt bad for worrying them and being a burden. But what saddened him the most was that - even though he was surrounded by people who loved him deeply - he felt incredibly lonely. The person he needed the most at the moment was the only one who didn't care about him in the slightest.

Albus had wondered countless times if he had ever crossed Scorpius' mind. Probably not even once… Or maybe just a few, only to laugh at how pitiful the Hufflepuff was, and even be satisfied with the damage he had caused.

The dark-haired boy made a promise to himself: he shouldn't let Scorpius see how affected he had been by their fling, and especially _not_ by its end. It wouldn't be easy, but at least that way he could protect his pride.

"We arrived." his father announced cheerfully.

Albus jumped slightly; he hadn't even realised the car had stopped moving. His heart suddenly started beating wildly. He clenched his trembling hand on the door handle and closed his eyes while inhaling deeply through his nose, trying to compose himself. It wasn't the right moment to have a panic attack…

Gathering up his courage, Albus stepped outside of the car, chin up, determined to show Scorpius that he felt as indifferent about him as the blond did.

* * *

><p>David ran up to Ethan as soon as he saw him. He hugged him excitedly and gave him a big kiss on the lips.<p>

"It's so nice to see you again!" Ethan exclaimed, hugging the other boy tighter, lifting him up slightly.

"Yeah, it felt like ages…" David replied, then they snickered, because in fact, it was only two days they hadn't seen each other.

"Where is Scorpius?" David eventually asked.

"I don't know, he mustn't have come yet… Oh, wait! There he is." Ethan said and pointed his finger in his direction. Then he got on his tiptoes and waved at the blond. Scorpius waved back briefly.

As he approached them, Ethan noticed that Scorpius didn't look as good as usual. Well, he still looked better than most of the guys of the school, but that wasn't the problem. There was something about his expression, especially his gaze, that worried Ethan. It probably wasn't anything too obvious, and Scorpius was certainly trying to hide it, but to him who had known the blond for so long… His friend looked… exhausted. Even his gait was different; it lacked confidence, it lacked _pride_.

"Hey." Scorpius greeted them in a flat voice. _Distant, cold… _

"Hi." the two other boys greeted him back, with a bit more enthusiasm.

"'Had a nice holiday?" David asked.

"Yeah…" Scorpius answered with a shrug. He could have said it had been terrible and it would have sounded exactly the same, Ethan observed.

There was a moment of silence. Scorpius looked around anxiously. At some point, his eyes stopped on something. Ethan followed his gaze and saw the Weasleys. Potter's best friend was also with them. Potter himself was nowhere in sight though.

Scorpius cleared his throat. "Um, since we're all here, why don't we go find an empty compartment?" he proposed.

"Okay."

* * *

><p>"Ah, here's one!" said a feminine voice.<p>

Scorpius looked up to see who it was. A red-haired girl was standing in front of the door of the opposite compartment, her back turned to him. She was soon joined by a blond guy.

"At last. I thought we'd never find one." Scorpius heard him say. The boy had a slight French accent that reminded him of-

_Wait a minute… _

Scorpius froze, his eyes widening as he realised who they were.

_Oh no no no no no_

_Fuck! _

His heart began beating like crazy, because he knew perfectly well who the next person he'd see would be.

And there he was, his dark hair messy just as always, one of his shoelaces undone. The redhead slid the door open.

Since he was the last one to enter, it was Albus who closed it. So obviously, he glanced towards them. It was as if Scorpius could see his own expression mirrored on the other boy's face. He wanted to look away, away from the green eyes that had haunted him all summer, but it was simply impossible. His brain seemed to have completely stopped working. After what felt like an eternity, Albus finally closed his mouth and turned away. Scorpius's eyes started stinging, and he was suddenly overwhelmed by a need to curl up and cry his heart out, just like he had done many times those past two months.

It turned out that Sorpius wasn't as strong as he had thought… as he had hoped to be. His willpower hadn't been enough to forget the unforgettable. On the contrary, Scorpius had felt like his feelings for Albus had been growing stronger every day. The pain he had seen in Albus' eyes back then, the same as the one he had just seen a few moments ago, had been tormenting him, torturing him. _Insufferable_, that's what his holiday, his daily life, had been. However, Scorpius had come to a conclusion: he wouldn't make any move to get him back, but if, by some odd miracle, Albus made clear that he still wanted him, this time he wouldn't chicken out. Nothing else mattered anymore.

Scorpius eventually noticed that both of his friends were staring at him worriedly. They quickly looked away as soon as he saw them. Scorpius told himself he should try to smile and act more normally, because he was in no mood to have to explain himself, which was also the reason why he didn't ask them to change compartment.

* * *

><p>A few hours had passed, and Albus still felt extremely uncomfortable knowing that Scorpius was only one or two meters away from him, that the blond could <em>watch<em> him, hear him… At that moment, Albus wanted to know more than ever what the other boy was thinking. Now that he had seen him again, did Scorpius regret anything? Would he had said something if they had been alone? Like, maybe finally give him an explanation? The explanation he owed him…

"I'm thirsty; I'll go buy something to drink. Do you want something too?" Albus asked, getting up.

"No, thanks."

Albus opened and then closed the door slowly, taking more time than needed, on purpose, making sure Scorpius would see him. He went in the next wagon and stopped in some empty corner. It was silly, Scorpius certainly wouldn't come, but even if he was well aware of it, Albus couldn't help but hope. So the dark-haired boy waited, and waited, making up excuses as for why Scorpius hadn't found him yet. But in the end, seeing that Scorpius wouldn't come any time soon, Albus had to give up.

* * *

><p><em>-two weeks later-<em>

Albus was pretending to pay attention to his Potions class. It was a good thing Scorpius was sat further back than he was in the classroom this year, because otherwise everyone would have realised how obsessed he was. He had completely failed at his attempt to act as if the other boy didn't exist, something said other boy had proved to be perfect at. Even though Scorpius had never given him the kind of attention Albus wanted, he had never truly ignored him as he did now. Not that Albus would have preferred Scorpius offending him whenever he had the opportunity to, but it would have still been _something_. It made Albus feel invisible and unimportant.

Suddenly, a few words the professor said caught his attention.

"-grouped in pairs. And since I want no whining, I'll make the groups. It will be one student from each house, in alphabetical order. I won't accept any change, and I won't tolerate any-"

Albus stopped listening. He didn't know the last name of every Slytherin in the room, but he had a really, _really_ bad feeling about it.

The professor took a list out of his book and began calling the students' names.

"Lambert, with… Kelly." he said after a while.

Albus glanced at Henri who was next to him, and saw him grimace. Poor Henri… That Kelly guy was such a brute.

"Murray, with… Lewis."

_Shit, I'm next!_

"Potter, with…"

Albus held his breath.

"Malfoy."

"Fuck!" Albus cursed under his breath.

"Did you say something, Mr Potter?"

"No, n-nothing, sir."

_Kill. Me. Now._

"Alright, class, there are less than ten minutes left, so I'll let you start working with your partner." the professor said at last.

Albus desperately wanted to find a way to escape this hell, but at the same time, he was unable to move. Students started moving around, some of them complaining in a low voice. Someone sat heavily next to him. Albus couldn't even find the strength to turn his head to see who it was. Actually, he knew who it was, that's why he couldn't look at him.

Scorpius sighed. "Listen, Potter, this is just as unpleasant for me as it is for you, so try to cooperate instead of complicating things."

Albus nodded almost imperceptibly, before hesitantly facing the blond. Scorpius' face was even paler than usual, which made Albus wonder how pale _he_ was.

"So, which one do you prefer?" Scorpius asked.

"Huh?"

"Which subject do you prefer?"

"Er… What subject?"

"Didn't you listen to anything he said?"

Silence.

"Okay, look. There's a list, which I see you didn't take, with different themes." Scorpius explained, waving a sheet of paper in front of Albus' face. "We have to choose one and write an at least six-parchments-long assignment about it, plus, if needed, make one or several potions to prove your arguments."

"How… How much time do we have to do all that?"

"Two or three weeks, depending on the subject you choose."

Albus began to stress. They had a lot of work to do, but the worst part was the amount of time they'd have to spend together to do that work.

"I think the one about Acromantula venom would be a good choice. We probably won't even have to make a potion, just a quick experiment and we'll be set. But take a look at it too and tell me what you think." Scorpius said, giving him the list.

"No, no, whatever you say is fine." Albus replied hastily, placing the list on the desk.

"This is supposed to be group work, Potter." Scorpius said in a harsh tone. "If you're not planning on doing anything, just say so, I can do it on my own. But don't come and complain after if the result doesn't please you."

"No, of course I'll help!" Albus hurried to say, despite the fact that leaving Scorpius do everything was unbelievably tempting. "It's just that Potions aren't my forte, so I can't really judge…"

Scorpius' expression softened a little, and, to Albus' surprise, even a tiny smile appeared on his face.

"Then it's decided. Acromantula venom." he declared and circled the number of the respective subject on the list. "Since we've agreed, the sooner we start, the sooner we'll finish. What about tomorrow afternoon?"

"Um, yeah, sure."

"5 pm, at the library?"

"Mhm."

Thankfully, the class came to an end soon enough, before the awkward silence that had settled between them became too unbearable.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes. _

**Shiver**

**Chapter XII**

* * *

><p><em>Lightning strikes<em>

_Inside my chest to keep me up at night_

_Dream of ways_

_To make you understand my pain_

[_Heartbreak Warfare_-John Mayer]

* * *

><p>Albus entered the library. As soon as he caught sight of Scorpius's blond head, his chest was filled with an intense feeling of excitement. It felt as if they had gone back in time, as if they had never broken up and this was just some sort of date. He knew he shouldn't let himself think that way; it would only hurt him even more afterwards, but hope is hard to wear down.<p>

The dark-haired boy sat in front of Scorpius, who was reading an enormous book, and opened his mouth to greet him, but no sound came out. Scorpius looked up at him for a few seconds, before resuming his reading.

"Hello to you too." he said in a neutral tone, head still lowered.

Albus' cheeks reddened slightly, and for a moment, he wished he could disappear from the surface of Earth. "H-hi." he mumbled.

"Oh, Scorpius! You're here too? What a surprise!" a Slytherin exclaimed, leaning to wrap an arm around the blond's shoulders.

"_Go away._" Scorpius hissed in a low voice, violently pushing his friend's arm away.

"But why? I won't bother you at all; you can continue your work as if I wasn't here."

"_Ethan. Go. Away. Now._"

Instead of leaving, Wilson sat with them with a bit too much enthusiasm for Albus' taste.

"So, Potter, how are you?" he asked.

"Er, I… fine."

"Very eloquent." Wilson commented with a smirk, looking at Scorpius.

Scorpius gave him a murderous look, his fists clenched, and Albus thought that if they weren't in the library Scorpius actually might have killed him. As for Albus himself, he was feeling more uncomfortable with each second that ticked by.

"What subject are you working on?" Wilson asked, turning his gaze back to Albus.

"The third one. About venoms and stuff."

"Ah, yeah, good choice."

"It's Scorpius that chose it." Albus felt the need to clarify, a tiny smile on his lips, smile that disappeared instantly as he realised the mistake he had just made. He quickly decided to stare at the table and never say a word again.

"Oh, I see… Well done then, _Scorpius_."

"Just fuck off already! Go annoy somebody else! Like David, for example!" Scorpius snapped.

"Unfortunately, David is working with his partner so you'll have to put up with me." Ethan replied airily, completely ignoring Scorpius' awful mood.

"Why don't you go find _your_ partner then?"

"I'm waiting for her."

The Hufflepuff couldn't help but pity whoever that girl was.

"Go wait for her somewhere else!" Scorpius retorted. "You're disturbing us."

Wilson raised an eyebrow, his smirk widening. "Hmph. Okay, as you wish."

Then he stood up and gave a tap on Albus' shoulder. "It was a pleasure talking to you, Potter. I'll leave you two alone now; I don't want to _disturb _you any longer." he added before finally leaving.

Albus caught himself sighing in relief.

"Sorry about that." Scorpius said. "He can be quite, um… spontaneous."

Albus shrugged. "It's okay."

"So, I… I found this book earlier; it's about all the kinds of venoms coming from animals, and there's an entire chapter dedicated to spider venoms." Scorpius informed him. "It's nicely explained, very clearly, so I thought… I thought you could read it before actually starting working on the assignment; it will help you understand better what we have to do, and… you can always ask me if you have any questions…" he said, pushing the book towards Albus.

The dark-haired boy looked at him incredulously. This wasn't the Scorpius he knew. The Scorpius he had in front of him now was different; something in him seemed to have changed. The way he talked to him wasn't cold, or sarcastic; he wasn't on the defensive. Scorpius sounded almost _friendly_… It was weird, yet surprisingly pleasant.

"Er, thanks." Albus replied at last, pulling the book before him.

* * *

><p>If Scorpius was just any other classmate, Albus thought, he would have been the best partner he could have asked for. Scorpius knew everything there was to know, and even more importantly, he knew how to share all his knowledge. Yesterday they had spent two hours in the library, most of the time with Scorpius explaining him the parts he hadn't understood well. Albus thought if Scorpius could always help him revise, he would ace every future Potions test. But he couldn't ask him such a favour. Because Scorpius wasn't just any other classmate.<p>

They were in the library again. Scorpius was seated in front of him, just like last time, and he was reading a book that looked even bigger than yesterday's one. As for him, Albus was supposed to read an article and take notes. He hadn't done much though. Scorpius on the other hand seemed very focused on what he was doing. He was rhythmically tapping his fingers against the table, which, under normal conditions, would have annoyed Albus. But Albus' eyes were fixed on those fingers. Since he couldn't let himself look at the other boy's face directly, Albus was staring at the only other thing there was left to observe.

Scorpius had beautiful hands. His palms were perfectly proportionate with the rest of his body; his fingers were long and slender, but not knobbly, his nails neat. The skin was pale and soft, the hands' movements graceful. They were delicate looking hands; they seemed to be capable only of light, gentle touches. However, Albus knew that those hands were far from weak. Just like the rest of Scorpius' appearance, it was only an illusion, like wrapping paper; it looked pretty but there could be anything hidden underneath.

The dark-haired boy kept tracing with his gaze every sharp edge, every curve of Scorpius' hands. He remembered what Scorpius could do with those hands, how they felt on him, how he wished they were on him _right now_, and… and how it was highly inappropriate to have such thoughts in a moment like this. Scorpius' fingers stopped moving. Albus looked up at him and their eyes met.

"Oh, sorry, was it bothering you?" Scorpius asked, curling his fingers into a fist. "I do it without realising it…"

He seemed to be about to add something but he said nothing.

"No! No, it wasn't bothering me!"

"Is there something else bothering you then? You look quite… agitated."

Albus' cheeks became even redder. "What? No, I… It's just that I can't concentrate, because… because it's, er, too… noisy."

"Too_ noisy_?" Scorpius repeated, bewildered. "It's just us and this guy over there…"

Albus resisted the urge to slap himself. How could he be so stupid?

"Er… I mean… I… I have a headache, so… maybe it's just my ears buzzing…"

Scorpius' expression clearly showed that he didn't believe his lamentable excuse, and Albus was sure the Slytherin was currently questioning his mental state.

"Er, okay… We should probably continue some other time then…" Scorpius eventually said.

"Yes, maybe." Albus agreed.

They both began gathering their books. Scorpius finished first; he stood silently next to the table. The dark-haired boy looked at him questioningly.

"What are you waiting for?"

"You, maybe?"

"You don't have to." Albus responded dryly.

"Your common room is on my way…"

"I'm not your girlfriend! There's no need to accompany me!" Albus burst out, straightening up abruptly.

Scorpius was taken aback by Albus' sudden aggressiveness. He slightly gaped at him, looking somewhat distressed. Then, he scowled.

"Well, excuse me for being polite." he spat.

"Well, fuck you and your politeness!" Albus seethed.

He couldn't understand what had gotten to him, where all that anger that was making him shake came from, but Albus suddenly wanted to hurt Scorpius — physically — just like _he_ had been hurt — emotionally.

"I think you need to calm down, Potter."

How could he be so impassive? His calmness made Albus even madder.

"Don't tell me what to do! You don't know what I need! You don't know how I feel!"

"That's more than enough, Mr Potter!" he heard a woman call him out.

_Oh, right._ The damn librarian.

"Both of you get out immediately!"

Albus had to try hard not to yell at her too.

"Oh, and you, Mr Potter, you're forbidden to come here for a month."

"What? But I have an assignment to work on!" Albus answered back.

"That's none of my concern. You should have thought about it before making a scene in my library."

_What a bitch!_

Albus grunted, then grabbed his books and left with brashness.

* * *

><p>Rose was about to push the library door when it flew wide open, letting an enraged Albus appear.<p>

"Albus? Is everything fine?"

"No. Leave me alone." he replied coldly, pushing her lightly aside.

"But-"

Her cousin had already turned in the next corridor, disappearing completely from her sight. She felt disoriented for a moment; then the door opened again. It was Malfoy this time. The Slytherin didn't look much better than Albus… He gave her a quick glance, and went on his way.

"Wait, Malfoy!"

"What do you want?" he asked exasperatedly, turning to face her.

"I… I don't know exactly what happened, nor what is going on now, but _please_, don't play with him."

Malfoy's eyebrows shot up. He remained silent for a long time.

"I can assure you that's not my intention." he finally stated.

"Good." she said, feeling relieved.

Rose briefly smiled at him, before entering in the library.

* * *

><p><em>I don't care if we don't sleep at all tonight<em>

_Let's just fix this whole thing now_

_I swear to God we're gonna get it right_

_If you lay your weapon down_

* * *

><p><em><span>AN: Short chapter again, I know! Sorry! I hope you still liked it though:)_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes. _

**Shiver**

**Chapter XIII**

_A/N:__ Unlike I had said at first, this is NOT the last chapter._

* * *

><p><em>I hear the sound of the ticking of clocks<em>

_Come back and look for me, _

_Look for me when I am lost_

[_A Whisper_-Coldplay]

* * *

><p>With Rose Weasley's words in mind, Scorpius rushed off in the direction Albus had most likely taken. Granted, he shouldn't have proposed anything, nor should he expect Albus to fall into his arms with only a snap of his fingers, but the Hufflepuff had seriously overreacted. It was time to call things by their real name. The more they avoided the subject, the worse the situation would get, and it was already awkward enough, thank you very much.<p>

Scorpius reached the main hallway, and at the very end of it, he could see a dark silhouette.

"Potter!" he shouted.

The silhouette seemed to stop moving for a moment, then swiftly turned left, the sound of hurried steps echoing in the long, narrow staircase. Scorpius hastily ran after Albus.

"POTTER!"

Albus apparently had no intention to stop, so as soon as he caught sight of him again, Scorpius took out his wand and pointed it towards the other boy.

"_Rictusempra!_"

The dark-haired boy tensed abruptly, and then started giggling breathlessly, his body twisting awkwardly, trying to support himself against the wall.

"Stop… Make it stop… please… stop…" Albus whimpered. "_Stop it!_"

Scorpius was now close enough to catch him if he tried to escape.

"_Finite Incantatem_" he muttered.

Albus' body relaxed instantly, but his breathing remained uneven. He slowly straightened up, turning to face the taller boy.

"'The fuck is wrong with you?" he breathed, looking furious and exhausted at the same time.

"I had to find a way to make you listen to me." Scorpius simply said.

"Yeah, but what if I _don't_ _want_ to listen to you?"

"This can't go on any longer."

"That's right."

"You can't keep running away every time things get tougher. This cat and mouse game is getting annoying."

"Ha! Are you serious? Who's the one who chickened out at the last minute?" Albus exclaimed angrily. "Or maybe you'd prefer to forget about that part and blame me for everything?"

"No…" Scorpius sighed painfully. "I… Listen, I'm aware of my mistakes, but I think now it's time to get past that and-"

"I can't pretend anymore! What happened between us happened, whether you like it or not."

"That's exactly what I'm talking about; we have to clear things out."

"I agree."

"So…?"

"So you were right; I don't want to help you, so you'll have to do that assignment on your own, but that's no big deal, right? You said you were perfectly capable of it." Albus replied, crossing his arm against his chest. "And don't worry, I'm sure you'll do a great job, there won't be any complaints from me."

"What?"

Scorpius couldn't believe his ears. He had gotten his hopes all up for _that_?

"A-are you sure about that?"

"Absolutely."

"But… Don't you want to-"

"It's my final decision." Albus cut him off.

The blond stupidly stood there for a moment, too dazed to say anything, until Albus finally walked past him and left. This had to be some bad prank, right?

* * *

><p>It was impossible to describe how relieved Albus felt when he saw that Henri was there when he entered the dormitory. He desperately needed to confide in someone. Holding everything in for so long was driving him insane.<p>

"Ah, you're back early!" Henri remarked with a grin, sitting up on his bed and putting his comic book on the nigh table. "Al? What's wrong?" he asked worriedly as he noticed Albus' expression.

Albus climbed onto the bed and pulled his friend into a hug. "Oh, Henri…" he wailed, hiding his face on the other boy's shoulder. There were so many things he wanted to tell him… But he didn't know how and from where to start, so he opted for the most straightforward option. "I love him."

"I know."

"But… But I don't know what to do. I thought I could do it, that I could be near him and talk to him as if nothing had happened… But I can't… I can't! It's just so awkward, and painful, and angering, and we don't even really look at each other while talking! And now he's acting all kind and stuff! At first it was okay, but I don't know… It's like… It's like he's doing it out of pity! I don't _want_ his pity! To hell with him and his fucking hypocrisy! I can't stand it!"

"Albus… Albus, calm down…" Henri whispered, caressing his friend's back soothingly. Albus bit his lip, clenching his fingers on Henri's shirt.

"T-today, I told him I'll stop working with him…" he said after a short silence.

"What? Albus, why did you do that?" Henri asked in a puzzled tone, pushing the dark-haired boy slightly away from him so he could look him in the eye.

"Because I can't." Albus replied in a broken voice. "I can't take it anymore."

"Stop being so pessimistic!" Henri exclaimed, holding him firmly by the shoulders. "You're not as weak as you think, Al, but you are way too stubborn for your own good. You both are! It's almost ridiculous… Okay. Listen. Tomorrow, you'll go find him and take back what you said. You're going to work together, and you're going to work this out. Trust me, everything will be fine."

"You… You really think so?"

"Yes." Henri assured. "As long as you don't act on impulse and stay honest with yourself."

A hesitant smile crossed Albus' lips. He felt immensely grateful he had Henri as his best friend, even though he wasn't entirely convinced that 'everything would be fine'.

* * *

><p>Ethan was reaching for the doorknob of the toilet stall when a sudden loud noise made him jump. Someone had just slammed the bathroom door closed so hard the ground had shaken a little bit. The sound of water running was heard, shortly followed by a muffled groan. Ethan carefully opened the door of the toilet stall and cast a glance outside. A guy was sitting on the floor, his back against the wall, wall that was perpendicular to the corridor Ethan was in. The boy was sitting just in the corner, so from where he was standing, Ethan could only see a shoulder and a leg. He leaned forward slightly to wrap his arms around his knees, letting Ethan catch a glimpse of light blond hair.<p>

The Slytherin sighed quietly and walked towards his friend. He then crouched in front of him.

"Scorpius?"

Scorpius looked up, water drops shining on his flushed skin. "Leave me alone," he said with a frown, his voice strained.

"Not a chance." Ethan replied firmly, kneeling down.

"I don't want to talk to anyone."

"Oh, you will."

"I said leave me alone!" Scorpius hollered. He made a move to push Ethan away, but the other boy was faster than him. Ethan grabbed both Scorpius' wrists mid way, twisting them backwards just enough to immobilize him, whilst simultaneously pulling him closer.

"You're going to listen to me, Scorpius Malfoy. I won't let you screw this up. I'm your friend and I want you to be happy. I don't care what the problem is this time; you're going to get your arse out of the damn bathroom and go find your dear Potter, and apologise for whatever the fuck you did to make him look like a hurt puppy." Ethan ordered in a harsh tone, ignoring Scorpius' attempts to escape his grip.

"Am I clear enough?"

Scorpius didn't answer, still squirming.

"Be logical, Scorpius. Listen to me. Don't make me hex you."

Scorpius seemed to ponder the possibility of Ethan implementing his warning.

"Fine." he eventually gave in, glaring at his friend. "I'm listening."

"Good boy." Ethan approved with a small smirk, finally freeing Scorpius' hands. "So, as I was saying, instead of whining and sulking like a snotty little kid, do something to fix this."

"I tried. But he won't listen to me."

"That's entirely your fault, you know."

"Thanks." Scorpius scoffed. "You're so very helpful. I can't imagine what I'd do without you."

"Shut up. You'll thank me later, when you have your boyfriend back."

Scorpius rolled his eyes, though a tiny smile was threatening to appear. "Modesty will kill you, Ethan…"

"Shush! Now back to our problem: if he doesn't want to listen to you, _make him_ listen; like I just did with you."

"Um, no thanks. I'd prefer to not have to resort to violence. And I told you – I tried. But he's so stubborn!"

"So are you. That's why you two aren't shagging right now." Ethan responded in a matter-of-fact way, paying no attention to Scorpius' indignant look. "Try again then, and make sure this time it's effective. Do whatever it takes for him to give you a second chance. I don't know, write him a letter or something if needed…"

"A _letter_? Are you kidding? Who would write a _letter_? That's stupid! He wouldn't even read it!"

Ethan cleared his throat, avoiding eye contact. "Well, you never know… It might work for some people… It's not _that_ stupid."

"Huh? Wait… Don't tell me you've done this before?"

"Er…"

"Holy crap! I can't believe this! And _you_ from all people?" Scorpius laughed. "You wrote David a letter when you had your big fight last year, right?"

"Yes." Ethan sighed, hoping he'd never have to bring back this subject again. "Can we go on now? You're the one here having a relationship crisis."

"I'm sorry but this is hilarious! How did David react?"

"For fuck's sake! Leave David and I alone! I thought we were discussing about a serious matter concerning _you_!"

Scorpius' expression changed instantly. "Yes, you're right. Sorry." he muttered, his tone serious.

"'t was about time… But hey, you know what? Now that I think about it, we're pretty similar, you and I. The pureblood guy whose parents have high expectations of him, being an only child and shit, who falls in love with the guy he thinks he hates, but since he was always a jerk to him, said guy plays hard to get… rather classic, eh? But look, I did it. So why not you too? Besides, it's a lot easier in your case. Your parents love you to death, and Potter wants you like crazy – don't look at me like that; I'm speaking the truth. It's so blindingly obvious I'm amazed by the fact we're still talking about it."

"Well, please forgive me for wasting your precious time you could have spent doing God knows what." Scorpius retorted teasingly.

Ethan punched him lightly on the calf. "Come on, get up. Let's get out of here, or else I'll start calling you Moaning Myrtle the second."

"Don't you dare!" Scorpius exclaimed with a chuckle, hitting him back.

* * *

><p><em>Night turns to day<em>

_And I still have these questions_

_Bridges will break_

_Should I go forward or backwards?_

_Night turns to day_

_And I still get no answers_

_Just a whisper, a whisper, a whisper, a whisper_


	14. Chapter 14

_**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This is only for entertainment purposes. _

**Shiver**

**Chapter XIV**

* * *

><p><em><span>AN: Well, what can I say…? I am terribly sorry for not updating for 5(!) months. I don't even have a decent excuse. Even after my exams were over, I just couldn't get myself to write anything, and then I had to move to another city (for uni). I hope this chapter won't be too much of a disappointment… If it is, then, again, sorry. And yes, I'm ashamed of myself for letting you down like that._

_If you've left a review as a guest, please take a look at the bottom of the page. _

_Celine: Partially my fault too, I've just moved to France on exchange and I've been meaning to edit this for about a month now so I'm a sucky editor, sorry!_

* * *

><p><em>So, whatever it takes<em>

_Tell me you'll stay with me forever_

_Don't turn away_

_Tell me you'll stay_

'_Cause when we're together, oh I see stars above the headlights_

_And they don't seem so far away_

[_Whatever it takes_-Ron Pope]

* * *

><p>"Remember," Ethan said, shaking his index finger, "Don't come back if you two haven't made up."<p>

Scorpius sighed deeply. "I can't promise you anything."

"You're not doing it for me, you twit. It should be a promise to yourself."

Scorpius sighed again, rolling his eyes. Ethan's ceaseless remarks were making him even more nervous that he already was. They were sitting in the Slytherin common room, their classes for the day finished. He was supposed to go find Albus and somehow fix yesterday's fiasco – a moment he wasn't looking forward to at all, given Albus' lack of cooperation.

"Oh, give the boy a break. He's worried enough as it is." David interfered, much to Scorpius' relief.

"Thanks, mate." Scorpius whispered, before openly glaring at Ethan, in a way that clearly showed the other boy that pestering him for twenty-four hours would have a price.

"I'm only trying to help." Ethan pouted.

"You've already been very helpful. I'm sure Scorpius will realise it when he has calmed down." David replied kindly, tousling Ethan's hair. Ethan tried to get away, and the sound of David's laughter made Scorpius relax a little and smile.

"Um, I guess it's time for me to leave." Scorpius eventually said, getting off the couch with as much determination as he could.

"Good luck." his friends wished him as he walked away.

His heart began beating faster. He hadn't the slightest idea how to find Albus. As far as he knew, the other boy could be anywhere. Maybe he should start by trying to find a way to sneak in the Hufflepuff common room… But then, what? He didn't have any plan in mind; he was going completely unprepared. Despite all the thinking he had done last night, he hadn't come to a conclusion on how to broach the subject. Scorpius felt utterly helpless. So as he stepped outside his common room, he took a deep breath and simply hoped for the best.

* * *

><p>Albus stuck his nose against the glass of the door, and scanned the inside of the library. He couldn't risk entering and getting caught by Madam Pince, so he had to stick with the view he had from where he stood. Scorpius wasn't there. Or at least not in the front section. Relief washed through him nonetheless. Quite frankly, he didn't feel ready to face the Slytherin. After a brief moment of deliberation, Albus stood back and headed towards the main staircase. Well, his apology to Scorpius would have to wait… He certainly wouldn't go look for him in the dungeons again.<p>

The dark-haired boy had now reached the basement. He was about to turn in the kitchens' corridor when he bumped into someone.

"_Ow!_"

"Sorry!"

Albus rubbed his forehead, then looked up at the other person. He felt his heart make a jump as his eyes met a pair of grey ones. They silently stared at each other for a moment, Albus feeling his face blush, before speaking both simultaneously.

"I was looking for you-"

A timid smile crossed Scorpius' lips, while Albus had a short awkward laugh, the colour of his cheeks deepening.

"You first." Albus suggested.

"No, you first." Scorpius responded, making a gesture towards him politely.

"Er, okay…" Albus nervously ran a hand through his hair. "I…" he hesitated, looking down at his shoes. "I'm sorry… about yesterday. I… I don't know, I just lost my temper and… Well, what I'm trying to say is that I didn't mean what I said, so… we… we can still work together if… if you want to."

"I… Yes, I want to. You don't have to apologise, it was my fault." Scorpius replied after a few seconds of silence.

Albus glanced at the blond, making sure he was honest. Scorpius gave him a genuine smile this time. The Hufflepuff caught himself grinning back instinctively.

"What did _you_ want to tell me?" he asked, suddenly feeling anxious again.

"Oh, it can wait a little." Scorpius mumbled. "We'll have plenty of time to talk later."

Albus gave him a questioning look, but didn't insist. He didn't know how to feel about that. It was rather perturbing actually. If it had been important enough to make him look for Albus, why wasn't he saying anything now that he had found him? And what was so urgent anyway?

"Well… do you have some free time to work now?" Albus asked, too curious to let go the opportunity. "You know, to catch up for lost time…"

"Now? Er… yes, sure."

"Cool. There's only a problem though: we can't go to the library."

Confusion swept through Scorpius' face for a brief moment, before his expression became thoughtful. "Well, we would have had to find another place to do the experiment anyway. And, um… There's…" the blond hesitated, stubbornly looking anywhere but Albus. "There's always that… classroom where we – where I used to go."

Albus felt his whole face burn, and suddenly the tiling of the ground became particularly interesting. After the shock, then panic, that followed the other boy's suggestion faded and his mind gained back the ability to work properly again, Albus pondered the suggestion. It didn't seem like a good idea to him. He was already overwhelmed by his memories; he didn't need to revive and strengthen them even more. However, refusing might seem suspicious.

"Okay. Works for me." Albus finally said, deciding that playing it cool was probably the best option.

"Great. We should go get what we need then." Scorpius announced, looking noticeably more confident. "Let's start with the ingredients first, and then I'll fetch the books."

Albus nodded in agreement.

* * *

><p>They were walking silently side by side, while carefully keeping some distance between them. Within a few minutes, they reached the potions storage. The Potions teachers had replaced the usual security charm with a simpler one for this week, so that the 7th year students could have free access to it, provided that they remembered the password the teacher had given them. You couldn't take whatever you wanted though. A charm had been placed so that the teacher would be informed of what had been taken and by whom, making sure everything would be used for the purpose of the project only, but also that everything taken would be returned.<p>

"Baneberry." Scorpius muttered, waving his wand towards the narrow wooden door. There was a loud creaking as it opened. The room was tiny and dusty, but there were more jars and phials assembled than both boys had ever seen.

"Whoa." Albus whispered in awe. "It will take us forever to find what we want."

"Nah, everything is arranged in alphabetical order. Look, there are tiny labels on the shelves." Scorpius pointed out. "So, first, we need the Acromantula venom, and some Wartcap powder." he said, and they immediately started searching.

"Ah, here it is!" Albus exclaimed after a while, brandishing a small flacon.

"Careful!" Scorpius warned him. "We're screwed if we break that one."

Albus smiled guiltily and put it in his robes pocket. Scorpius did the same with the powder pot.

"What else do we need?" Albus asked.

"Um, we need something to test the venom on. Like worms, or… spiders." Scorpius said with a wince.

"Worms will be a lot easier to manipulate. Besides, they are less _scary_." Albus added teasingly.

"I'm not afraid of spiders!"

"Sure you aren't."

"Whatever. Just help me find the jar so we can be done." Scorpius grouched.

After they had picked up everything they needed, Scorpius headed to the library, as Albus went to wait for him in the classroom on the third floor.

* * *

><p>Scorpius closed the library door, holding two thick volumes against his chest. Should he spill the beans as soon as he got back or should he wait? And if so, until when? Albus had been cooperative… More, Albus had been <em>looking<em> for him too. Ethan was probably right; he shouldn't waste any more time beating around the bush.

The Slytherin was almost running by the time he reached the 3rd floor. A few seconds later, he was standing before the door that was separating him from what he wanted the most. His sweaty hand slipped on the doorknob. Scorpius hadn't realised he was so nervous. He quickly wiped his right hand on his shirt and entered in the classroom.

Albus was standing in front of the last window in the back of the room, his back turned to him. The dark-haired boy noticed him only when Scorpius dropped the heavy books on the desk next to him.

"Oh, you're already back?" Albus mumbled, startled.

Scorpius shrugged. "Why? Would you have preferred I didn't come?" he asked, a sly grin on his lips, hiding his anxiety.

"Nah, I quite like your company."

That was all Scorpius needed to hear. All the stress and nervousness disappeared, giving way to a feeling of ease. Albus had opened a door to him, and now it was his turn to step in.

This was going better than expected.

"Um, let's get started then." Albus said, seemingly uncomfortable.

Scorpius tore his gaze away from the other boy and sat down, placing two saucers in front of him as Albus took a seat next to him. He opened the jar with the worms, grimaced, caught two worms, and placed one on each saucer. Then he took one of the books and opened it on the chapter they were working on.

"So, theoretically, with just a drop of this venom, the worm will die, but if the venom is dry, then nothing will happen to the worm…"

"Will the worm feel pain?" Albus asked in a moment of true magnanimity.

"I honestly have no idea."

The dark-haired boy seemed a little disheartened by the answer he got, though he didn't protest when Scorpius dropped the poisonous liquid on the first worm. The tiny creature had a faint convulsion, then moved no more.

"Looks like it worked." Scorpius commented.

"Yeah…"

"Come on, your turn now." he announced. "Do the second one."

Noticing Albus' slight hesitation, Scorpius grinned encouragingly at him. Albus pulled the second saucer closer to him. He grabbed the pot containing Wartcap powder, opened it, and dropped a small amount of the drying ingredient near the edge of the saucer, before pouring a few drops of the venom on it. Then, with the tip of his finger, Albus pushed the worm on the dried venom. The worm crept its way out of it – repulsed by the smell, maybe? – unharmed.

"Now we have to do it again, but this time letting the venom dry by itself, to see if it makes any difference." Scorpius explained, reaching for the phial. But instead of closing on the glass bottle, his hand closed over Albus', who had done the same movement simultaneously. Albus withdrew his hand hastily, knocking over the phial in the process. The flacon rolled over the table, and before any of the two could react, it fell on the floor, shattering.

"I'm sorry!" Albus exclaimed, covering his mouth with his hands. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" he repeated in a small voice.

"It's… it's all right." Scorpius breathed, still rooted to the spot.

"No, it's _not_! You had warned me! I'm really sorry, Scorpius! But don't worry, I'll tell the truth; I'll say it was my fault!"

"_Albus_. Calm down." Scorpius said, holding the dark-haired boy by the shoulders. Albus' eyes went wide for a brief second, before catching his breath. "There wasn't much product left anyway. No biggie."

"But-"

Scorpius silenced him by placing a finger on his lips. Albus' gaze darted down at the finger he couldn't see but could definitely feel pressed against his parted lips. He gulped, and the Slytherin could have sworn he had felt the tip of Albus' tongue on his skin just a moment earlier. _It's now or never_, Scorpius told himself and just went for it.

Instinctively, Scorpius took Albus' face between his hands and pressed his lips against his – maybe a little too strongly. He heard Albus' sharp intake of breath; however, the other boy didn't attempt to disengage himself. Scorpius suddenly felt breathless, numb. It didn't make any sense. He had waited for this moment for months, and now that it was finally happening, his body had betrayed him. Resting his forehead against Albus', eyelids still shut, Scorpius tried to relax, while unconsciously caressing Albus' cheeks with his thumbs. As for Albus, he hadn't moved an inch, and he seemed to have stopped breathing.

"Albus…" Scorpius muttered, half-opening his eyes. "_Please_, give me a second chance?"

At the sound of Albus' weak gasp, he finally looked into the boy's bright green eyes. Albus lowered his gaze, then spoke in a low voice:

"I… I don't know. I don't know if I can trust you…"

Scorpius felt his heart clench. He let his arms drop wearily, his hands sliding down Albus' shoulders, down his arms, until he caught his wrists and held Albus' hands between his.

"This time, I promise, we'll get it right. Last year, I was stubborn, and stupid, and I deeply regret all the mistakes I made, but… but I've figured things out and now I know what I want, and what I want, Albus, is to be with you. If only you let me, I'll prove that you can trust me, that I can be the man you deserve, and, hopefully, one day maybe you'll forgive me. I need you to believe in me, because I believe everything's not lost; I believe in us."

It was incredibly relieving, expressing your feelings out loud, Scorpius thought. He sighed softly and looked up from their hands, meeting Albus' gaze. Albus' _teary_ gaze. Just as Scorpius was about to ask if he had said something wrong, Albus murmured: "You better keep your fucking promise, Malfoy. Because… because I love you, dammit! I love you…" he repeated, his weak voice almost inaudible.

"Oh, Albus…" Scorpius sighed, wrapping his arms around the boy's shoulders. "If you knew how heart wrenching it was for me to leave you… I could never bear doing it again."

Albus let himself melt in Scorpius' embrace, savouring the moment, as his heart swelled up with happiness, so much happiness it was almost painful. Scorpius' grip tightened. When his lips brushed against the boy's ear, his voice was so low Albus nearly missed the three words Scorpius had uttered. Three simple words only, but how powerful… He clutched Scorpius' shirt, moving back just enough so he could kiss him. Scorpius responded eagerly, standing up and pushing Albus against the back of his chair. However, as he climbed on as well, the chair swayed backwards. Albus tried to grip the table to steady them, but he only managed to knock over the rest of the objects that were on it.

"_Ow_!" he croaked when the back of his head hit the floor, his complaint immediately followed by a sharp gasp as he was crushed under Scorpius' weight. Scorpius quickly sat up, barely able to control his laughter.

"I think we've worked enough. Time to take a break." he announced, his lips curving in a promising smile.

Albus grinned back, straightening up on his elbows. "Sounds good to me. Besides, there's nothing left for me to break…"

With a chuckle, Scorpius offered his hand to Albus who gratefully accepted it and stood up too.

"You know what?" the blond asked, wrapping an arm around Albus' shoulder, "I quite like your company too."

* * *

><p><em><span>AN: Thanks for reading; I hope you liked it! _

_Just as a random info, this story was inspired by the song 'Shiver' by Coldplay, hence the (very unoriginal) title of the fic._

_By the way, I did a little research on Google, but apparently it's not 100% sure if worms are sensitive to pain or not. _

_And since some of you asked, no, I don't plan to write another multi-chaptered fic, at least not any time soon, but I'll probably write a OS. Maybe. Someday._

_Replies:_

_**FilthyMudbl0od**: Thanks a lot for your review! I'm glad you and your friend enjoy reading it. I don't have a twitter, so that's why I couldn't reply to you._

_**Roxy**: Hey, Roxy! Thanks for reading and reviewing both my fics! It was kind of you to let me know there was a typo, but it actually wasn't one. Let me explain: Marion's and Henri's last name is Lambert, but the 't' isn't pronounced, so that's why Henri corrected Scorpius (French can be tricky sometimes, I know…). Scorpius does it simply to annoy Henri because he's jealous;)_

_**Killjoy-partyhag**: Nope, the lyrics aren't mine. I always write the song's title and the artist on the last line._


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